Sunapee’s Wendell Marsh and the Sugar River have received an important measure of protection through a conservation easement donation by Dr. Jolyon Johnson. Prior to the protection of the Wendell Marsh in three phases (which began in 2013), The Sunapee veterinarian donated the development rights to two forested properties totaling 34.1 acres with 2,102 feet of road frontage along Route 11.

The forested land is located opposite the Sunapee water treatment facility and the Wendell Marsh. It contains several seasonal springs that flow underneath the roadway into the Sugar River, just below the Marsh.

Dr. Johnson purchased the land with the intention of protecting it. He comments, "There are large, open tracts to the north of this land, and I hope that this can ensure a wildlife corridor." He also wants to protect the area’s aesthetic quality; this is fostered by protected road frontage, which produces more daily encounter with "open space."