"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect".
It appears highly likely that development of any sort on the Hackett Hill property may permanently damage the unique natural resources which are found here. Yet Manchester city officials have stated publicly that they plan to market portions of the property for the construction of buildings and roads.
It seems reasonable to request that a moratorium on development plans be called while a possible alternative use of the property is investigated. For example, there are indications that the Hackett Hill property would be ideal for an academically-based biological field station. A facility of this nature could offer undergraduate, and graduate-level educational and research programs. (A highly successful FIELD TRIP to a Hackett Hill Atlantic white cedar swamp was made by students taking a "Wetlands" course at UNH, Durham). Moreover, it appears that there would be an opportunity for considerable community involvement in the proposed facility through volunteer activities, short "awareness-type" courses, and K-12 education. There are numerous funding possibilities for supporting all of the programs mentioned above.
French Hall, which UNH-Manchester intends gradually to phase out of its regular academic program, is superbly suited as a headquarters for a field station. It has classrooms, offices, computer labs, a cafeteria, etc. and probably would require only modest modifications.
It does not appear that there would be a shortage of researchers/instructors for a facility of this nature. Numerous investigators/faculty members at UNH have interests that make them well-suited for these responsibilities. Moreover, certain staff members of the Natural Heritage Inventory, Nature Conservancy, SPNHF, private environmental consulting firms, UNH Extension Service etc. have shown great personal interest in the protection of the property and could also become involved in teaching and/or research programs. General forestry management of the property could continue through the UNH Extension Service.
Although the Manchester city officials have been counting on deriving a substantial amount of funds from the establishment of an industrial park on the Hackett Hill property, the ease of obtaining this revenue may have been considerably over-estimated. Unforeseen construction costs may arise that are related to the geology of the region. Since endangered species are commonly associated with wetlands, it is likely that additional plants or animals will be encountered that fall in this category, thus delaying or preventing specific building plans. Although the "infrastructure" already in place on the property would seem the logical place to initiate development, from an environmental point of view, it is probably the worst place for such purposes due to its proximity to the major Atlantic white cedar swamps. Putting the same facilities in place elsewhere on the property would involve considerable expense. Highway diversion to the property to facilitate traffic has been proposed, and such an undertaking is not a trivial matter.
Assuming that pilot studies run during a moratorium program suggest that a biological field station would be feasible, development of any sort would be ill-advised. Traffic, air and water pollution, noise, etc. would make research findings very suspect. However, the city could derive some revenue by leasing the property on an annual basis to UNH, with taxes to be paid by the lessee.
Importantly, Manchester would derive many advantages by foregoing the planned development scheme. Most importantly, the problems associated with establishing a field station would be few, since basically an "outdoor laboratory" situation is involved. Although Hackett Hill residents are concerned about traffic problems that would ensue from development, the traffic associated with a field station would be minimal, and no highway diversion would be required. Also, the value of properties in the region should rise, due to their proximity to a "protected" natural area. In addition, Manchester - UNH-Manchester relationships should be greatly enhanced by the arrangement, and it is likely that the "forested wetlands" field station would attract national attention.
* The suggestion that the Hackett Hill property serve as a biological field station, which seemed to be an appropriate suggestion when proposed in late 1998 and early 1999, proved to be somewhat impractical. It has more recently (2002-3) been supplanted by the suggestion that the property and French Hall be used for environmental education programs organized by a consortium of ten Manchester colleges. (see home page)
PERTINENT LINKS
There are numerous examples of biological field stations that could serve as "models" for a field station which could be located on the Hackett Hill property. An appropriate example is listed here: