Protecting natural areas and farmland can provide many benefits for wildlife, water quality and flood protection, and NH has terrific resources for helping people protect their land through an easement, donation or sale to a land trust or conservation organization (See: Southeast Land Trust or the Conserving Your Land Publication). However, once land has been conserved the work is not over, landowners need to stay vigilant and help steward the land to ensure benefits are fully realized.
New Grant Program
In March 2025, a new Stewardship Grant Program was launched to assist with land stewardship costs for permanently protected conservation lands in NH’s Great Bay watershed. Small grants ranging from $2,000 to $15,000 can be used to fund habitat management projects, existing trail maintenance, property and project planning, and natural resource inventories. To be eligible for this opportunity, applications must be submitted by the land owner or conservation easement holder of eligible conservation properties, including nonprofit conservation organizations, municipalities and units of government that own conservation lands.
Applications must be received by April 15. Learn more and access the application form at the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership website.
Project Planning Resources
If you’re looking for guidance on how to best manage your lands and plan a stewardship project, these tools from NH Fish and Game and Cooperative Extension could be helpful:
- Trails for People and Wildlife – provides guidance on how to best site trails to minimize negative impacts.
- Picking Our Battles – provides guidance on where and when to try to manage invasive species.
- Taking Action for Wildlife – provides a wealth of resources for protecting wildlife and habitats in NH.
To learn more about the funding behind the new Stewardship Grant Program, See: Great Bay 2030. To learn more about the collaboration leading the grant program, visit: Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership. Great Bay NERR is a core member of both collaborations.
