Lafayette Brook Acquisition
The Division of Parks and Recreation held a public information session on August 11, 2016 to discuss the proposed acquisition of 399.43 acres of undeveloped forested land on Profile Road (parcel 00020-0000001) in Franconia. The property, referred to as the Lafayette Brook Tract, directly abuts Franconia Notch State Park and the White Mountain National Forest. Comments & notes from the meeting plus written comments submitted after the meeting are posted below with additional project information.
The Division is interested in acquiring the property for the following reasons:
- Protection of the view shed from the Cannon Mountain and Mittersill ridges.
- Maintenance and potential expansion of the existing trail use on the property and to potentially connect it to the trails in Franconia Notch State Park and the White Mountain National Forest.
- Future state park recreational development on the flatter terrain to compliment the more mountainous terrain in the rest of the park and expand existing services.
- Protection of the exemplary forest seep/seepage forest located on the lower slopes of Lafayette Brook.
- Wildlife habitat management and protection.
- Demonstrate sustainable forest management.
The short-term plans to add public use at the property is to construct a small parking area to access parcel, maintain existing trail network, install informational kiosk, and install pit toilet.Written comments on the acquisition and short-term public use plan can be emailed to LafayetteBrook.Comments@dred.nh.gov or mailed to the Department of Resources & Economic Development, Lafayette Brook Comments, 172 Pembroke Rd, Concord, NH 03301. The deadline for written comment will be September 11, 2015 at 4pm.
Additional Information