BRENTWOOD — The Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire on Dec. 20 completed the acquisition of an easement on the Fuller property in Brentwood for conservation.
The Fuller family has owned the property for decades. Norma Fuller spent much of her adult life there, managing the property with her late husband, John.
The property includes 28 acres of field, forest, and wetlands and abuts two easement properties, providing crucial wildlife habitat.
In addition, the fields contain rich agricultural soils, making the property a prime site for a future farm. For this reason, the easement contains an OPAV (Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value), a tool to help ensure that the next steward of the property will actively farm the land.
“Norma Fuller has a deep connection with the land,” says Ben Engel, Conservation Project Manager for SELT. “She is passionate about wanting it to remain open and farmed into the future. This easement ensures that this special property is protected forever.”
Much of the project’s cost was paid by the town of Brentwood through a recently-passed conservation bond. Remaining funds came through SELT donor support, a grant from the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, and a generous bargain sale donation from the Fuller family.
SELT serves 52 towns and cities of Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire, protecting and sustaining significant community lands for clean water, outdoor recreation, fresh food, wildlife, and healthy forests. Since 1980, SELT has conserved tens of thousands of acres.