April 2025 – The Piscataquog Land Conservancy and the Temple Conservation Commission have completed the purchase of a conservation easement on a two-hundred-acre property that includes the top of Fiske Hill on the town’s border with Wilton. The forested property is adjacent to over 1,800 acres of existing conservation land, contains prime wildlife habitat, and has frontage on Temple Brook, a cold-water stream that supports wild brook trout.
The newly protected parcel is owned by the Fiske family, lifetime Temple residents who had long hoped to conserve their family land from development. The Fiskes will continue to own and manage the property for timber, wildlife and recreation under the conservation easement held by PLC. In a statement, the Fiske family said “this land is a testament to the interconnectedness of all life. It provides vital habitat for wildlife while offering a place for human reflection and recreation. We are so happy that this delicate balance will be protected forever.”
Conserving the Fiske Hill property was a top priority for the Temple Conservation Commission, which funded the $135,000 easement purchase with funds from the town’s conservation fund. Temple Conservation Commission Chairman Scott Hecker said “this conservation easement is one of the largest in Temple’s history and will preserve important wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities for future generations.”
Hecker added that the Temple Conservation Commission worked for several years studying the wildlife corridors connecting conserved and undesignated landscapes in town and who owned them. “Right from the start the Fiske family was on board to conserve their land as an addition to our town’s network of conserved land.” Hecker said.
PLC’s Land Protection Specialist Jonathan Beck managed the Fiske Hill easement project. Beck noted that the land had once been owned by the Fiske’s ancestors, but was sold away. “The family bought the property back from a timber company in 2004 with the intent to place it in conservation. Now, more than twenty years later, we were able to help them finally achieve this goal. It was rewarding to be a part of this project, and a true pleasure to work with the family and the Town of Temple,” Beck said.
PLC and the town split the cost of surveying the 200-acre parcel. All other transaction costs on the project were funded by the NH State Conservation Committee Conservation Moose Plate Grant Program.
Photo from left: Jonathan Beck (PLC), Greg Fiske, Sherry Fiske, Tim Fiske, Scott Hecker (Temple)
NOTE: Map was created before property was surveyed. Actual acreage is 200 acres.
