Conservation Commission

Milford Conservation Commission 4^th Saturday Hike

January 28, 2012

Please join the Milford Conservation Commission on this month’s 4^th Saturday Hike.  The hike on January 28^th will be along the Souhegan River.  The hike will explore the eastern portion of the Souhegan River Trail; an out and back hike starting at Emerson Park (beside the Post Office) and following the river westerly to the Souhegan Gardens and then returning along the same route.  Parking will be available at the Masonic Temple on Mont Vernon Street.  The hike starts at 9:00 and we should be returning by 11:00.  The total distance is about 3.5 miles.  Be prepared for mud and snow conditions.  We will assemble in the parking area.

Directions to the Masonic Temple at 30 Mont Vernon Street, Milford NH.  Use either South Street (Rt 13) or Nashua Street to enter the Milford Downtown Oval.  Proceed northerly on Rt 13, taking a left at the top of the hill in front of the RiteAid Pharmacy.  The Masonic Temple is the immediate left into a parking area.  There is also parking available across the street at the Col Shepard Montessori School.  For additional information, please contact the Milford Conservation Commission at 249-0628.
 

Who We Are
The seven members and several alternates of the conservation commission are volunteer citizens of Milford. We all have a common goal, to educate ourselves and the town's people to understand and appreciate the natural environment. We inventory, oversee and plan for the protection of the town's natural resources. These resources include the river and streams, the wetlands and wildlife, forests, trails and open space. Towns in New Hampshire were given the right by the state to form a conservation commission in 1963. Milford voted in 1968 to establish this commission as advisors to aid the other town boards, developers and landowners in the protection of the natural treasures in our town. 

What We Do
The commission has been instrumental in establishing five town forests and laying out trails open to the public for their enjoyment. We have erected signs, printed trail maps and cleared and blazed the trails. We assist owners of large properties to protect their land for the future with conservation easements. The commission is a nonprofit which accepts gifts of land for wildlife habitat protection or trail corridors. We review requests for wetland disturbances from property owners and developers, giving our recommendations to the applicant and the state Wetlands Bureau for reducing the impacts. We attend workshops and seminars to gain the tools to better do our job. We sponsor programs and events to educate ourselves, the public, town boards and other local commissions. To expand our resource inventory we work with private and state organizations, college students and local town's people. We are honing our skills in wildlife tracking, GIS mapping, identification of plants and soils. One of our major exercises is the development of our Conservation plan. This document is valuable to us and to the town as a planning tool for the future. 

How You Can Help
Do you have an interest in the environment? Do you have any skills that you would like to offer the town? Do you have a little time to share with us? The commission would be happy to meet with you. We need volunteers for one time projects, for ongoing trail work, for writing articles, leading hikes, finding money and writing grants, developing self-guided nature trails or as full members of the commission. The conservation commission holds a public meeting every second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, on the main floor of the Town Hall. If you think you may be interested in joining us or would just like to see what we are all about, please feel free to sit in on a meeting. The agenda for the meeting is posted in the town hall and on our Website the Tuesday before the meeting. If you would like to be on our mailing list for future seminars or events drop us a note via email, US mail or give us a call. There is no obligation. We have maps of our trails available free of charge just inside the door to the Planning and Building Department in the Town Hall.