The Monadnock Conservancy has accepted the donation of 20.6 acres in and around Island Pond in Stoddard, including eight islands and a wetland parcel, expanding the organization’s protected lands in the Monadnock region.
The land was donated by the Price family, which acquired Island Pond and the surrounding acreage in 1950. The family previously placed conservation easements on four islands and 783 forested acres around the pond through the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
The newly donated property includes eight islands — one of them 10 acres — and marshland that will remain open for light recreation, including swimming, blueberry picking and wildlife viewing. The land is also home to nesting loons, a species listed as threatened in New Hampshire.
The islands and wetland can be accessed from the Island Pond Boat Launch on Route 123.
