Monomonac Hill Conservation Partnership Project

Monomonac Hill, looking northeast at the Wapack Range in the distance.
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North County Land Trust (NCLT) and Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust have joined forces, with local residents, to protect 200+ acres of forest at the southern reaches of Lake Monomonac.   Running from the hills of New Hampshire’s Wapack Range, the Millers River flows south to Winchendon, MA, where dams dating back to the colonial era form the distinctive 700-acre Lake Monomonac.

Conserving forestland is especially important to water quality because forests function as natural sponges, collecting rain and releasing it slowly into rivers and lakes.  The forest’s soil filters sediments and other pollutants from the water, producing clean water more cost-effectively than any human-made water treatment system.

The construction of over 200 camp lots overlooking the lake had been proposed at one point, which would have dramatically impacted the water quality and scenic beauty of the lake.  Conserving this land also helps secure the watershed of both the lake and White’s Mill Pond which then flow into Whitney Pond and the Millers River.

We’re all connected by water and the forested lands through which it flows, and by working together we can protect both. Watershed boundaries are created by mountains, valleys or ridges and rarely fall neatly within city or state lines. This makes the partnerships among many organizations essential for the conservation of these important regions.  Mount Grace and NCLT are working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, a local private conservation buyer, town administrators, both the Winchendon Springs Lake Association and the Monomonac Lake Property Owners Association,  and many concerned Winchendon and New Hampshire residents.

Conserving this land would link the Winchendon Springs Wildlife Management Area, to hundreds of acres of forest conserved by the Town of Winchendon.  Parts of this landscape are considered crucial habitat by Massachusetts’ Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, so this larger connectivity ensures that species can migrate through diverse habitats to provide greater resilience to climate change.

  • Monomonac Hill Conservation Partnership Phasing
  • Lake Monomonac
  • White’s Mill Pond
  • White’s Mill Pond, Beaver Lodge
  • Pitcher Plan on the Winchendon Springs WMA parcel
  • Native Azalea on the powerline easement.
  • Protecting these parcels adds to a conservation matrix
  • Protecting these parcels protects local and regional biodiversity.
  • Existing trails create recreational opportunities.
  • Views from the trails on the powerline easement.
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