April 2020 - As we all seek ways to get out of the house, exercise, and maintain a positive state of mind during the current Covid-19 outbreak, PLC’s conservation properties are seeing a dramatic upsurge in use. Providing people with places to be outside in nature has always been a big part of what PLC does, but right now our lands are providing truly essential support to the physical and mental health of our fellow citizens. Sometimes it takes a crisis to see what was there all along. PLC-owned properties remain open for public recreation, and will continue to be so long as public health guidance says they can, and everyone works together to make their use safe and sustainable. Here’s how YOU can help:

Public health rules still apply outside - if you are going to visit a PLC property, follow ALL current public health guidance relating to illness, quarantine, isolation etc., and maintain at least six feet between yourself and others. Some of our trails are narrow, so please avoid stepping on sensitive vegetation if you have to step off the trail to maintain distance.

Like the scouts say, be prepared! - check the weather forecast and dress for it, have a fully-charged phone with service, a headlamp or flashlight in case you run out of daylight, etc. Bring a trail map on paper or downloaded to your phone. You can find trail maps for many of PLC’s most popular properties on the “Land Conservation” page of our website. If you are going into the woods alone, tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back. Our first responders and health care workers have enough on their plate right now, so it’s on the rest of us to be smart and safe.

Treat the land, your fellow trail users, and the neighbors with respect – follow all posted rules, and leave no trace. If you are parking along a road, respect no parking signs, and don’t block access for emergency vehicles access or people’s driveways. Expect to be sharing the trails with more people (and their animals) than usual. Keep your dog on a leash to prevent conflicts, clean up after them when nature calls, and dispose of the waste properly. If you’re a mountain biker be extra careful on those blind corners. Smile and say hi when you meet up with someone (from six feet away or more of course).

A PLC sign doesn’t always mean that we own the land – we currently own 26 properties totaling about 1,800 acres with names that typically end with “Preserve” or “Sanctuary.” On these lands, PLC manages the public’s use. The other one hundred properties (6,200 acres) we protect are conservation easements, which means someone else owns the land and generally has final say on public access. If you aren’t sure who owns a particular property, check the “Land Conservation” section of our website, or email us at plc@plcnh.org. Also please let us know if you find problems or see misuse of our trials or properties.