Important to Biodiversity and resilient to climate change
New Hampshire is known for its rugged peaks, old-growth forests, and winding trails, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. With its generous rainfall, varied terrain, and rich soils, the region supports a remarkable diversity of life. These wide, forested landscapes are not just beautiful, they are essential for climate resilience, offering connected habitat for wildlife and storing vast amounts of carbon in their soils and trees.
Tucked within one such corner, in the Mascoma Headwaters Unit of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, lies Bear Hill, a richly biodiverse stretch of forestland now being protected for future generations. Moss clings to boulders and tree trunks, vernal pools shimmer with amphibians in spring and dry out in summer and black bears move quietly through the trees. Birds, both common and rare, call from the canopy. Bear Hill is part of something much bigger, linked by forest and water to the White Mountain National Forest, the Appalachian Trail corridor, and other regional conservation areas.
Photos: Ami Vitale
The Bear Hill Conservancy Trust, a private foundation dedicated to protecting this landscape, is working with WildLandscapes, the Kilham Bear Center, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure that Bear Hill remains intact, healthy, and wild. Thousands of acres have already been protected through conservation easements. These forests are home to American black bears, wood turtles, brook trout, Canada warblers, wood ducks, and many other species. Ecological surveys have recorded hundreds of plant and animal species, including several that are rare or declining in the region.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently limits certain uses of a piece of land to protect its conservation values. The land remains privately owned, but the easement ensures that it can’t be developed or used in ways that would harm its natural, agricultural, or scenic character. Easements are often held by land trusts or government agencies, and they help landowners preserve their property for wildlife habitat, open space, or sustainable agriculture. links
WildLandscapes began working in this landscape in 2010. Since then, nearly 10,000 acres have been protected, with just over 5,000 still to go. This work aligns with the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan and strengthens an important wildlife corridor between the Conte Refuge and the broader Appalachian region. The Kilham Bear Center, which rehabilitates and releases orphaned black bear cubs, plays an active role in this work and reflects the landscape’s deep ties to wildlife conservation.
Bear Hill’s importance lies not only in its size and beauty, but also in its location. It helps strengthen the connectivity between nearby conserved lands, allowing animals to move more freely and ecosystems to adapt as the climate shifts. Its mix of mature and recovering forests, clean streams, and nutrient-rich soils supports rare plant communities and a wide range of species that depend on healthy, unbroken habitat.
This long-term effort has been made possible in large part by David Roby, founder of the Lyme Timber Company. A leader in conservation-minded land management, Roby has worked for decades to pair private investment with public benefit, helping to protect nearly a million acres across the U.S. In retirement, he has turned his focus to Bear Hill, establishing the Bear Hill Conservancy Trust and partnering with WildLandscapes and others to safeguard this ≈14,000-acre landscape for the future. His vision includes plans to restore and protect significant areas of mature and old-growth forest in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bear Hill is a place of subtle abundance - ecologically vital, deeply loved, and increasingly rare. Together with our partners, we are working to keep it that way.
David Roby of Bear Hill Conservancy. Photographed by Ami Vitale.
The Bear Hill Conservancy Trust was established in 2006 to protect the forests, wetlands and wildlife habitat of the Bear Hill area in New Hampshire. Located within the Mascoma Headwaters unit of Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, it aims to maintain landscape integrity, enhance biodiversity, and support corridor connectivity to the White Mountains.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the federal agency tasked with protecting America’s wildlife and wild places. It manages the National Wildlife Refuge System and enforces endangered species laws, while partnering with communities and conservation groups to restore habitat, support migratory birds, and steward public lands.
The Kilham Bear Center, founded in 1993, is based in New Hampshire and specialises in rehabilitating orphaned and injured black bear cubs. It provides naturalistic care and eventual release to the wild, while also advancing public understanding of bear behaviour and promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife.