Laura Bonk and Phil Trowbridge, long‑time scientists, signed a permanent conservation easement on their 116‑acre Derevya Farms in Allenstown on April 2024. The tract, bought in 1997, abuts the northern edge of Bear Brook State Park and harbors wetlands, old growth forest and tributaries that feed the Merrimack River.
The easement keeps the land in private hands while locking in protections for wetlands, water quality and wildlife corridors. It is the latest addition to a chain of properties the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests has secured to safeguard the watershed that supplies drinking water to more than 700,000 residents across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
A grant of $8,000 from the Merrimack Conservation Partnership helped finance the easement, while the rest of the cost was covered by individual donors across the state. The Society will administer the easement, ensuring the land’s natural features remain intact for future generations.
Bonk told reporters, “We’ve always known this place would be a travel corridor for wildlife.” Trowbridge added, “It’s also become a corridor for neighbors, who use the trails we’ve maintained for years.” Local residents, including a farmer who feeds his livestock from the brook, praised the move.
The families will continue to own Derevya Farms, but the easement guarantees permanent protection, a commitment they say reflects their life‑stage priorities. The project exemplifies a growing trend of private landowners turning to conservation easements to balance stewardship and personal ownership.
The easement will be monitored by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and the property remains a vital link in the Merrimack watershed’s ecological network.