In 2019, Robert O’Neil donated a conservation easement on a 22.3-acre portion of his Sutton property located along NH Route 114 and Johnson Hill Road. The easement will help to protect not only the abundant wildlife habitat in that area, but also several bodies of water including Russell Pond and Blaisdell Lake. The property has highly ranked forestry and agricultural soils and is listed as “farmland of local significance.”  It is primarily forest but also has open field. The O’Neil easement is adjacent to the Russell Pond Conservation Easement, making this area around the pond a haven for wildlife. Between the two protected properties, nearly 3,000 feet of Russell Pond frontage is protected forever. The O’Neil Conservation Easement is open for low-impact recreational activity.

The Town of Sutton Conservation Commission holds an executory interest in the conservation easement.