Crotched Mountain Ski Area
Bennington and Francistown, New Hampshire

As part of a compensatory mitigation plan for a proposed ski development, DSM was hired by Peak Resorts, Inc. to conduct a habitat assessment on 250 acres. This included a site assessment combined with a landscape analysis to understand the conservation value of the property as it pertains to the maintenance of biodiversity and ecological integrity on a regional scale. This effort is part of a long-range goal of developing a regional natural reserve system that includes protecting the greater Crotched Mountain landscape, providing a permanent wildlife corridor stretching over 25 miles. The concepts of landscape ecology and conservation biology were employed in combination with the powerful aid of a geographic information system (GIS) to provide evidence of the significant conservation value of the ski area, as it plays an integral role in the development of the wildlife corridor.

As a result of this study, the project was granted permits from the State of New Hampshire to develop the ski area. Consequently, most of the 250 acres was put into a conservation easement, providing protection of the property in perpetuity. This project is a prime example of combining ecological principles with the social and economic structure of our society, one of the underlying concepts of conservation biology.

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