Stewardship Funding

Funding for stewardship projects comes from several sources:

Town General Fund

The Land Stewardship Coordinator contract (a part-time position funded at $32,000/year) is supported by the general fund. The annual town budget is approved by the Town Council.

Conservation Commission Fund

Expenditures from this fund are approved by the Commission. The source of funds is primarily from 100% of the Land Use Change Tax. In the last two years the Conservation Commission Fund has provided funding for volunteer work day supplies, trail mowing, new conservation easement boundary signs, property entrance signs, invasive plant control, kiosk signs, and trail bridge materials. The Conservation Commission has also approved $20,000 to The Nature Conservancy for two land acquisition projects in 2019. The balance in this Fund as of February 2019 was approximately $53,000.

Durham Conservation Land Use Trust

This fund was created by Town Council Resolution #2017-22 for income received from projects on town conservation land, such as timber harvests. These funds can be expended by the Town Council. Funding from this trust has been used on invasive plant control on Doe Farm and for an archaeological study on the Thompson Forest. The balance in this fund as of February 2019 was approximately $11,000.

Oyster River Forest Trails Expendable Trust

This fund was created by Town Council Resolution #2016-06 to receive private donations to help "...build and maintain trails and other recreational infrastructure at the Oyster River Forest" More than $30,000 was raised. The funds have been fully expended as intended on the Oyster River Forest and the account is closed.

Durham Town Land Stewardship Patron's Trust

This fund was created by Town Council Resolution #2018-01 to receive private donations to be "…used to steward wildlife habitats and healthy forests and rivers, protect water quality, develop interpretive information, and enhance the Town's recreational trail system by building and maintaining trails and other recreational infrastructure, including, but not limited to, bridges, parking areas, kiosks, signs, maps and other interpretive materials." These funds help supplement town funds, in-kind contributions of volunteers, grants, and staff time. The Conservation Commission approves expenditures from this fund. These funds are already helping cover some costs of trail improvements, an Eagle Scout project, invasive plant control, and trail bridge upgrades.

Help Improve Doe Farm Trails!
Thanks to town residents Ann Welsh and Malin Clyde for spearheading a successful private fundraising effort to improve recreational trails at Doe Farm in Durham, New Hampshire. Thanks to the generosity of local residents, we raised $18,985, for trail improvements! You can still donate to the Patron's Trust -- see "Supporting Documents" below.

Margery J. Milne Trust Fund

This Fund was created by Town Council Resolution #2008-10 revised by Resolution #2009-27. It was endowed with $25,000 from the estate of Margery Milne and is expendable by the Trustees of the Fund. A Milne Nature Sanctuary Committee was formed in 2018 to develop a Master Plan for the one-acre property on College Brook, Oyster River and Mill Pond. These funds will implement the Plan, which includes invasive plant removal, establish of native plants, improved walkways and other enhancements.

Grants and Funding Partners

The Town of Durham has been fortunate in receiving support for several wildlife habitat, restoration, and other projects on town conservation lands. Here are some recent examples:

• Five years of funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the 60-acre field-shrub-young forest habitat project at the Oyster River Forest. This included invasive plant removal, native planting, forest management. An investment of more than $200,000.
• Funding from NH Fish and Game to create the 15-acre meadow-field on Thompson Forest to benefit wildlife, which included invasive plant removal and a logging operation, followed by planting of native shrubs. An investment of more than $45,000
• The Lamprey River Advisory Committee (LRAC) funded the construction of the interpretive kiosk and an interpretive panel at the Thompson Forest. An investment of more than $2,000
• The Town of Durham applied for and received a State Conservation Committee "moose plate" grant for $9,050 for invasive plant control at the Oyster River Forest
• The Town of Durham applied for and received a $250,000 Aquatic Mitigation Fund (ARM) Grant from the NHDES Mitigation Coastal Program for construction of the Shoreline Erosion Control Project for the Wagon Hill Farm

Volunteers

We rely enormously on volunteers to help with stewardship projects in Durham. Not only do volunteers get a lot of work done, their cumulative hours contribute to in-kind match on grant applications. Their contributions are important and appreciated.