Benton, NH – The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced the protection of 360 acres of land, which feature the towering granite cliff face called Owl's Head, as part of the White Mountain National Forest.

The large parcel of land, located off Route 25 in Benton, New Hampshire, is a popular attraction for rock climbers and hikers and is only a half mile from the Appalachian Trail. The property is bound on three sides by the White Mountain National Forest and has over 6,000 feet of frontage along Oliverian Brook. In addition four, fledgling peregrine falcons––more than at any other site in the state––were observed on the cliff this past year by New Hampshire Audubon.

Last fall, at the urging of local citizens, members of the rock climbing community, and staff of the White Mountain National Forest, TPL negotiated an agreement for the purchase of this important property. On August 30, 2007, TPL purchased the property to temporarily keep it off the market while the Forest Service worked to purchase it. Funding to protect the property was secured through the Land and Water Conservation Fund by the New Hampshire congressional delegation led by U.S. Senator Judd Gregg, a member of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee. A grant from the Access Fund helped enable TPL to purchase the property.

Access Fund Helps Protect Climbing at New Hampshire’s Owl’s Head Cliff (09/13/2007)

By Tom Richardson, Durham, NH

Thanks in part to a grant from the Access Fund, Owl's Head cliffs and about 360 acres which surround it on Route 25 was sold last week to The Trust for Public Land (TPL), in hopes it will soon become part of the 780,000-acre White Mountain National Forest.

The dramatic cliffs are a popular attraction for rock climbers and hikers. It is only one-half mile from the Appalachian Trail. The property is bounded on three sides by the White Mountain National Forest and has more than 6,000 feet of frontage along Oliverian Brook.

Before TPL and the Access Fund stepped in, this property faced potential development for vacation homes.

For more information see www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Rock-climbing+cliffs... or email josh.kelly@tpl.org.

Owls Head Cliff, NH (09/21/2006)

Tom Richardson

The 380+/- acre Owls Head Cliff property is currently listed for sale with a real estate broker. If sold on the private market the property would likely be developed into second homes/vacation homes and an incredible community recreation resource and critical wildlife habitat could be permanently lost.

In addition to possessing 800+/- vertical feet of shear granite cliff face of Owls Head (1,967 ft.), the property also contains 6,000+/- feet of stream frontage along both sides of Oliverian Brook (a tributary of the Connecticut River) including a small waterfall. Approximately one-half mile southeast of the property the infamous Appalachian Trail passes through Oliverian Notch and the Jeffers Brook Shelter and Blueberry Mountain Trail are also in close proximity to the Owls Head Cliff property.

The Trust for Public Lands (TPL) with support from the Access Fund is leading an effort to have this property purchased by the White Mountain National Forest. The Trust for Public Land’s goal is to permanently conserve the 380+/- acre Owl’s Head Cliff property for people and wildlife, by conveying it to the U.S. Forest Service for inclusion in the White Mountain National Forest.

Support for this project is needed in the form of letters and other contact with US Forest Service management, elected officials and conservation organizations. This project will take time, at least several months, possibly a few years. This property is too unique to let it be used for anything but public or conservation land. Many people are interested in maintaining the cliff's availability for rock climbing.

Owls Head Cliff, general info. home.usaa.net/~thewebweaver/owlsheadandtheoliverian.html

Thank you to all of you that are active participants in this project,

Tom Richardson
Durham, NH