Courser Phase 1 (Mud Pond, Warner)

  • 201.00 acres
  • 6/05
  • L
Courser Phase 1 (Mud Pond, Warner)

Schoodac Road, Warner

This 317-acre property straddles the town line of Warner and Webster and contains an extensive wetland flowing from Mud Pond to Schoodac Brook, as well as a rocky upland forest.

The Warner piece of the conservation easement consists of many parcels, which in the past supported several farms along Couchtown and Schoodac Roads. In colonial times Mud Pond and its wetlands were luxuriant with native grasses. The harvested grass provided rich hay for winter and pasture during the summer making the land valuable. A deed to harvest timber from George Smith to Fred Courser, dated October 17, 1896, describes the meadow, brook and reserves four pines and the wood growing near Danforth Springs. These springs consist of two to three rock walled wells and a stone lined brook draining into a beaver meadow. Fred Courser always said revival meetings were held here during the summer months in the 1800s. The family refers to this lot as the "shingle mill piece" - as a mill was set-up here after the Hurricane of 1938 to manufacture shingles from the downed pine. The Courser Farm buildings were roofed with these shingles.

This easement donation was a partnership project among: The Courser family – Rebecca, Gerald, Tim and Bill; the easement holder, Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust;  and The Nature Conservancy. Thank you to the Warner Conservation Commission who underwrote the survey, title work, hazardous waste assessment and stewardship fees.

The Nature Conservancy and the Warner Conservation Commission hold back-up interests in the conservation easement.

This easement is phase 1 of three phases (which include a total of five projects) by the Courser family, for a total of 1,197 acres.

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