DURHAM — Sixty-seven acres of farmland and forests in town and in Madbury have been protected after owners Jesse and June Gangwer helped secure a conservation easement.
The family will continue to own the land, known as Roselawn Farm, but neither they nor future landowners will be able to develop the property.
Active agriculture and forestry still are allowed on the land.
Anna Boudreau, executive director of the Strafford Rivers Conservancy, the land trust that holds the easement, said the Gangwer family "showed uncommon patience, generosity and commitment" to land conservation.
Madbury and Durham each contributed $170,000 to the project, and the Gangwers donated nearly 40 percent of the total easement value.
"Agricultural land is at particular risk for development and the easement demonstrates the commitment both towns have in protecting their agricultural resources," Boudreau said.
The USDA Farm and Ranchland Protection Program contributed $340,000 to the easement.
Boudreau also credited the staff of U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., in aiding the project.
Other groups participating in the effort included the Durham Land Protection Working Group, the Durham Conservation Commission, the Madbury Conservation Commission and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Roselawn Farm is located between the Route 4 bypass and Perkins Road in Madbury. It includes a farm stand and a pick-your-own operation. It has produced blueberries and other crops.
The Gangwer family has owned the land since the 1850s.
