The Teneriffe Mountain Forest property is a landmark conservation and recreational property in the heart of the Moose Mountains Region. Home to critical wildlife habitat and species, it is also a valued location for recreational users such as snowmobilers. The land is at high-risk for development and other forms of environmental degradation, but is close to several hundred acres of other conserved lands. MMRG is thrilled to return this beautiful forest to the Milton community to be preserved in perpetuity and cherished as a town jewel.

Teneriffe Mountain is the highest point in Milton and the proposed property includes a path to the summit's breathtaking views. It abuts other privately owned lands that include the summit itself, and the 170-acre Mt. Teneriffe Preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy.

This area is a focal point for conservation efforts, in part because of its rare plant communities. The property hosts the most northerly known community of chestnut oak trees, ranked critically imperiled in many parts of NH. The endangered small-whorled pogonia, often called the "rarest orchid east of the Mississippi," may also reside here. The headwaters of Lyman Brook are on the land, a priority for stream restoration and important habitat for native brook trout, according to Trout Unlimited. There are many areas of exposed bedrock ledge and low heath shrubs such as low-bush blueberry and bearberry. Currently, the forest has trails used for recreational purposes like hiking, which will be improved and maintained through the conservation process.

We are proud to be joined in this project by SELT, who holds the conservation easement for the property while MMRG is the fee owner. This is a strong partnership with a fellow land trust that ensures a double-layer of enduring protection. We'd like to thank our generous foundational donors and community members for their support and funding in this process, including: Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund, Fields Pond Foundation, Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership, Milton Conservation Commission, NH State Conservation Committee Conservation License Plate Fund, Thomas W. Haas Foundation, Virginia Long and Steve Panish, Peter and Susan Goodwin, and many others.

Photos of the Teneriffe Mountain summit are courtesy of SELT NH; all other property photos are by Virginia Long.