Anglers Join Forces to Protect Stretch of River

By JOHN CORRIGAN

Conservation-minded anglers from the Concord area hope to inspire their allies from across the state to protect a stretch of New Hampshire’s premier trout river.

They want to raise $20,000 toward the $2.8 million needed for the purchase of what is now called the Connecticut River Forest. It’s 5.5 miles of prime riverfront land in Clarksville, where the river runs between that North Country town and Pittsburg.

"If the funds can be raised for the purchase of the Connecticut River Forest, it will be permanently protected so this land can never be posted or subdivided into house lots," wrote Tom Ives, president of the Basil W. Woods Jr. Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU), in a letter to members.

The land would be owned and managed by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF). That organization issued a statement last Monday indicating it has raised more than $2 million, but must obtain the balance by June 15.

Major grants include $500,000 from the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund and the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCIP). The most recent large grant of $75,000 came from the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund. About 200 snowmobile enthusiasts have added $10,000 because a scenic trail from Stewartstown to Pittsburg crosses the property.

Area TU members are taking a creative approach to trying to raise $20,000. Ives reports that the local chapter’s board of directors has pledged up to $10,000. They are challenging the six other New Hampshire chapters to match $6,000 of the donation. The $4,000 balance will match donations made by individual members. The Forest Society statement indicates that the Ammonoosuc Chapter in Littleton was the first to kick in $1,000.

Ives’s caution that the land could be posted or divided into house lots is echoed by SPNHF.

"The owners recently considered a large-scale development plan, but welcomed the opportunity to see the property permanently protected through a sale to the state’s oldest and largest land conservation and forestry organization."

The Upper Connecticut has long attracted the attention of the national TU organization. It is the only New Hampshire river listed in America’s 100 Best Trout Streams by John Ross, a book published by the conservation group.

TU national announced in statement last Tuesday that Joe Norton of Lancaster, former director of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, has been hired as project coordinator of its Upper Connecticut Home Rivers Initiative.

"We’ve come to know and respect him in his past role with the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, and his background in fisheries science and management means he has the right combination of formal training and the ability to work well with all kinds of people," said Paul Doscher, a local conservation and fisheries activist who is both a SPNHF vice president and member of the TU board of trustees.

The letter from Ives to local members indicates that Connecticut River Forest project is one of three chosen for TU’s "National Land Conservancy Initiative."

"The national leadership of TU has agreed that protecting this property is a perfect example of how TU and land trusts can work together to achieve our goals," Ives wrote.

The section of river will be familiar to anyone who has traveled U.S. Route 3 to Pittsburg. It includes most of the river in Clarksville. Heading north at the beginning of the site, the river is on the left, on the other side of a wooded buffer. The view of the river opens up after you cross the iron bridge into Pittsburg heading toward the village. The large pool where Indian Stream joins the Connecticut is near the midpoint of the main parcel of land.

If you’d like to support this conservation effort, donations can be made online at spnhf.org.

Faded waders?

Will faded waders become the new fashion statement for anglers who want to prevent the spread of "rock snot?" Didymosphenia geminata or "Didymo" is a nuisance algae that was found in New Hampshire waters last summer, notably the Upper Connecticut.

The April issue of Troutlines, the newsletter of the Concord TU chapter, offers the latest tips anglers can take to remove the algae from their gear. Amy Smagula of the N.H. Department of Environmental Services spoke on the subject during a recent chapter meeting.

Here’s how the newsletter summarized her advice: "Cleaning your gear is critical. A half hour soak in hot soapy water will do nicely after the fishing’s done. Then make sure your gear dries out well – 48 hours after it feels dry is a good rule of thumb. If you’re moving from water to water, there’s a much quicker solution: soak your gear with a 10 percent bleach solution for about 10 minutes and it should kill the Didymo before you move onto the next spot. Remember, though, that the solution weakens over time. If you go this route, it may be best to mix the bleach and water before each use to be sure it’s fresh and effective."

Rock snot thrives in the clear, cold water that marks a quality trout stream. The scientific research is in its early stages, but it appears that the algae can reduce the population of insect nymphs that are so critical to a trout’s diet. We need to do what we can to avoid spreading it.

(John Corrigan can be reached at corrigannh@verizon.net.)

Originally published by JOHN CORRIGAN For the Monitor.

(c) 2008 Concord Monitor. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.