FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Freedom — June 24, 2004 — A new publication created by Ossipee Lake Alliance highlights four places on and near Ossipee Lake that are being preserved for the long-term benefit of the public. The pamphlet, called “The Special Places of Ossipee Lake,” is receiving wide distribution through funding provided by Public Service of New Hampshire.

Two of the four profiled properties are owned by the state: Ossipee Lake Natural Area, also known as Long Sands, and Heath Pond Bog, which is a federally-designated National Natural Landmark. The two others are the Nature Conservancy’s Ossipee Pine Barrens and the New England Forestry Foundation’s Bearcamp Woodlands.

Alliance president David Smith says the purpose of the publication is to increase public awareness of the uniqueness of the preserves and the role they play in making Ossipee Lake one of the most desirable lakes in the state.

“Balancing development and preservation is an ongoing challenge, and Ossipee Lake is more fortunate than many because so much land has already been set aside. These preserves offer an array of public benefits, from unspoiled shorelines to hilltop views of the lake to spectacular wildlife viewing.”

The rarest and most endangered of the properties profiled in the pamphlet is Ossipee Lake Natural Area, known on the lake as Long Sands. A 400 acre preserve with an extensive undeveloped shoreline at the southern end of the big lake, it contains natural plant communities that are found nowhere else in the world, according to the state’s Natural Heritage Inventory program. The other preserves profiled in the publication offer scenic views and an opportunity for ambling in the woods to see unusual birds, wetlands, and wildlife. Information is provided on how to find the sites and who manages them.

The pamphlets have been distributed to lake property owners, elected officials, conservation and environmental groups.

Ossipee Lake Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Ossipee Lake as a significant environmental, recreational, and economic resource. It maintains a website at www.ossipeelake.org.