By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – From field and forest to aging church steeples, more than $4 million in matching conservation and preservation grants were distributed across the state this week from a program that the governor said: “protects New Hampshire’s identity.”
The Land and Community Heritage Investment Program or “L-CHIP” as it is known is an independent state authority that selects grant projects, using surcharge fees collected from each land transaction recorded at county registries of deeds.
It announced 34 grants, this week with Gov. Chris Sununu saying the program provides “a tribute to the past and a gift to the future” of the Granite State.
The annual announcement came just in time for holiday celebrations and good news for the new year from Chesterfield to Atkinson, Westmoreland, and all over.
The City of Claremont has received a $130,000 grant award to support the repair and preservation/restoration of historic windows in the Claremont City Hall/Opera House Complex.
Dedicated in 1897 and located in the City Center, this dual-purpose building serves important local and regional functions, housing both municipal offices and a 785 seat Opera House.
“This is the second LCHIP grant we have received for this project,” said Yoshi Manale, Claremont City Manager, “and through LCHIP’s generosity and support, we are thrilled to be able to move forward with both Phase 1 and Phase 2 plans to complete this important work.”
Ben Engel, land conservation specialist for LCHIP noted that Sununu was reminded that it was his father, John Sununu when governor, who started the whole effort, creating the first iteration, the Land Conservation Investment Program in the 1980s.
It did not have the lasting funding source that the program now enjoys and had to go to the legislature for funding each biennium.
Engel said the amount of money that the LCHIP can award in grants today differs from year to year.
“It’s tied to the number of transactions,” at the registries of deeds and that goes up and down depending on how many transfers and refinancing documents are generated.
He said last year, LCHIP was able to distribute closer to $5 million.
This year, it was $4.3 million, and “already we are seeing things slowing down a bit,” with the previously hot real estate market cooling a bit.
He said next year is not expected to be as good as this year.
Thankful that they were chosen from among 55 applicants seeking a total of $7.8 million in requests were people in Stoddard, Bradford, and North Hampton, to mention just a few.
Carol Clark, trustee and grant committee chairman for the 1836 Stoddard Congregational Church said the $200,000 matching grant it received “will be the most significant effort to date to repair the effects of nearly 200 years of age and weather-related damage.”
Following a celebration, she said the community is “thrilled” and noted that they worked as well with Stoddard Conservation Commission which also won the largest grant awarded this year – $400,000 – to acquire 40 conservation and habitat acres near Highland Lake.
“We feel so blessed,” Clark said.
Ann Eldridge, chair of the Bradford Conservation Commission was overjoyed at the $80,000 match that the Ausbon Sargent land conservation organization received to purchase and protect 71.6 acres of the Bradford Bog Headwaters, an Abanaki ancient healing spring and the Atlantic White Cedar Bog which is part of the wildlife sanctuary.
She said when the commission began its work it identified certain land characteristics it most wanted to conserve.”
“This property has it all,” she said.
From water protection to wildlife and recreation, the land will be forever preserved.
“It is exciting that the most unfragmented wetland landscape in this area will be enlarged for passive recreation and for wildlife that requires big spaces,” she said.
The grant awards for this year will mean that 2,700 acres from farm fields to timberlands are preserved.
Over the years, the program has been able to conserve land and preserve historic structures in 195 of the state’s 234 municipalities.
In total, there have been 564 matches given to municipalities and non-profit organizations to protect structures and 236,000 acres protected totaling $58 million.
In North Hampton, the Friends of the 1876 Centennial Hall, which is a center for arts and community events, will receive $30,000 one of the smaller grants awarded.
Marcy Milne McCain, acting executive director of the Friends group said this is the fourth such matching grant the restoration has received from LCHIP over the years which was used to put on a new slate roof, and restore 44 windows and clapboards.
“We have made major progress,” McCain said “to open the building’s most beautiful space,” she said.
Eventually, it is hoped that the second-floor ballroom could be open for community use.
See list of grants below:
Atkinson, West Sawmill Town Forest Expansion. $118,000
Barrington, Landry-Nippo Lake Conservation Easement, $350,000
Bradford, Bradford Bog Headwaters, $80,000
Canterbury, Shaker Village Dwelling House Roof $109,000
Canterbury, Deepwood Forest Conservation Easement $180,000
Chesterfield, Stone House Tavern Museum $44,000
Claremont City Hall and Opera House, $130,000
Concord, Chamberlain House Roof, $18, 680
Concord, Morrill Dairy Farm Conservation Easement, $72,500
Dummer, Glover Farm, $185,000
Goffstown, Clarkridge Farm Conservation Easement, $200,000
Haverhill, Library $75,000
Hebron, Ash Cottage, $90,000
Kensington, Union Meetinghouse $275,000
Kingston, Whitcomb project $190,000
Londonderry, Lithia Spring Project, $300,000
Middleton, Coskie Conservation Easement, $55,000
Milton, Free Public Library, $60,700
New Castle, Congregational Church roof $59,835
New Durham-Alton, Freese – Mt. Bet: Keep Merrymeeting Clean $300,000
Northumberland, Tanguay Project, $200,000
North Hampton, Centennial Hall $30,000
Orange, Town House, $43,501
Plainfield Town Hall $21,000
Portsmouth, Langdon House, $25,000
Portsmouth, Warner House cupola, $21,000
Sandwich, Baptist Meeting House bell tower, $15,325
Stoddard, Congregational Church foundation, frame and steeple, $200,000
Stoddard, Little Big Forest $400,000
Sutton, Schoolhouse $25,000
Tuftonboro, Great Meadow Expansion Project, $31,600
Warner, Blue Moon Berry Farm, Waldron Hill Conservation Easement $118,000
Westmoreland, Chickering-Goodrums Crossing Conservation Easement $135,000
Statewide, Preservation Planning Block Grant $60,000