Conservation commission urges protection for Pasture Lane parcel; selectmen to consider options

The town's conservation commission told the selectmen it has voted to recommend that Lot 660, known as the Pasture Lane parcel, be protected from development because it supports cliff talus habitat and several rare species.

"The more protective thing to do is to find a land trust to hold a conservation easement," a conservation commission member said, explaining that a conservation easement typically provides a longer, enforceable set of restrictions than a simple deed note. Commission members discussed baseline inventories, possible survey costs and the town's conservation fund as a likely source to support an easement holder's costs.

Commissioners noted that some town‑owned parcels are effectively undevelopable and have been informally preserved, but the Pasture Lane lot was identified in the Henniker Natural Resources Inventory (2026 update) and the 2025 New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan as higher priority for active protection. At least one selectman raised concerns about prior easement adjustments in other cases and asked for stronger wording and safeguards in any deed or agreement.

The conservation commission said it will meet and refine the recommended next steps and return to the board of selectmen at a future meeting with a specific protection approach and estimated costs.