NLCC


New London Conservation Commission



NEW LONDON, NH CONSERVATION COMMISSION HISTORY.



The New London Conservation Commission was official established on March 9, 1965 by town Warrant article at the 1965 annual town meeting. The idea of forming commissions in New Hampshire was first presented in 1963 when Governor John King signed the Conservation Commission Enabling Act, now RSA-36A. Few municipalities knew of the statute at that time and as a result no commissions were formed. Then in December 1964, the Forest Society urged their members to propose commissions in their municipalities. At town meetings in 1965, 18 municipalities established conservation commissions, including New London. Esther Mead Currier, a biology professor at Colby-Sawyer College, is generally credited with helping to found the commission, on which she served the remainder of her life.



ABOUT US



Our mission



The New London Conservation Commission's overall objective is to develop and lead programs and activities to reasonably protect and expand the significant and diverse natural resources in the town of New London in order to maximize the enjoyment of these resources by all current and future residents and visitors.



What we do



MISSION



The mission of the New London Conservation Commission is to advance the Town's goals for conservation and open space land set forth in the latest (2011) version of the Master Plan for the Town of New London, New Hampshire. Important Goals for Conservation and Open Space Lands include the following:

Protect New London's open space lands.

Preserve the quality and quantity of New London's water resources.

Preserve the scenic areas and natural beauty of New London.

Preserve agricultural and forest lands and encourage their sound management.

Provide and preserve natural habitat for wildlife.

Protect fragile environments such as hilltops, steep slopes, wetlands and special natural or geologic features. Develop the Town's trail system as an outdoor recreational resource.



MAJOR ACTIVITIES



  • Hiking trail system development, maintenance, and signage associated with over 24 miles of hiking trails.
  • Conservation easement targeting, development, and monitoring.
  • Review and monitoring of projects and applications with environmental/conservation impacts. These include Wetlands Impact Applications and other projects which are deemed to be environmentally sensitive.
  • Develop educational materials and programs.
  • Develop and manage natural resources owned by the Town, including periodic forestry projects typically aimed at maintaining the health of the impacted forest and maintaining scenic views.


MEMBERS



By State statute, a Town Conservation Commission has 7 members and may have any additional number of alternates. Alternates attend meetings, contribute expertise to discussions, participate in supporting many Commission activities, and become voting members on Commission matters requiring a vote in the absence of a member. Members and alternates are appointed by and report to the Board of Selectmen for staggered terms of 3 years.


Member List:

Bob Brown (Chair) 2028

Mike Gelcius (Vice Chair) 2028

Mark Vernon 2026

Michael Kennedy 2026

Robert Prohl 2027

Sue Andrews 2026

Jim Dexter 2027

David Hollinger (Alternate) 2028

Don Ostler (Alternate) 2028




Meetings


Meetings are open to the public and held at Whipple Hall on Seamans Road in New London. With infrequent exceptions, meetings are scheduled for 8:30 am on the third Wednesday of each month. A calendar reflecting the meeting schedule and meeting minutes are available on the Town of New London website.


Strategic Plan



New London's Conservation Commission is dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing the town's natural resources, open spaces and scenic areas. Toward that end a strategic plan was developed to set goals for the Commission.


We follow DES guidelines and have a policy of not using chemicals for invasive plant control.



Volunteers



The Conservation Commission's efforts are supported through the efforts of many volunteers. Area residents are invited to contact any member of the conservation Commission to express an interest in being added to the list of volunteers supporting the Commission's efforts.


Please contact us via mail or email. Our contact information is shown in the column on the right.


If you are interested in serving on the Conservation Commission you can fill out a New London Volunteer form which is found here.



Contact Us



Mailing Address:

New London Conservation Commission New London Town Offices

375 Main Street

New London, New Hampshire 03257


NLCC Email Address:

To send comments and/or suggestions to, or to request information from, the New London Conservation Commission, please click here: Email, NLCC.


Trails: :

To report trail conditions in need of maintenance, please contact:

Trails Coordinator, Mark Vernon.

Photos showing the nature of a problem and detailed location information are helpful.


Website:

All comments, suggestions, and corrections about the site may be directed to Webmaster, Mike Gelcius.


Meeting Minutes:

Minutes of the NLCC meetings can be found on the New London Town Website. Click here.



New London Conservation Commission


375 Main Street, New London, NH 03257