Help Protect Lake Massabesic From a Greedy Developer

Dear friend of Environmental Justice, take a look at this scientific report on the property in question: https://tinyurl.com/498rds66.

Let me tell you the story of an elderly couple who lived long years next to a beautiful oak forest in New Hampshire. That forest contained a brook that ran into a lake that was their drinking water. The elderly retired couple felt secure in the knowledge that for generations this land had been kept wild to protect the beautiful lake, the water coming from it, and the wildlife in the forest next to it.

They loved birds. They rejoiced when a bear, coyote, deer, wild turkey or bobcat was in their yard. At night, owls sounded nearby.

Then one day in their mailbox came notice of a disaster that would end it all. In five days their city planning board would hold a meeting that would consider development of 34 McMansions.

They went to the meeting to protest, only to be told that the decision to go ahead with blasting the forest had already been made.

This couple was us, the husband and wife of the story. But we decided to continue the story by banding together with neighbors and environmental justice advocates to fight the disaster.

We knew we would need money for litigation and for environmental impact studies. That's where you readers of this fundraiser come into the ongoing story.

Lake Massabesic is more than a beautiful place to walk, fish, paddle, and find quiet in the middle of southern New Hampshire. It is the drinking-water source for more than 159,000 people. For generations, Manchester protected the land around the lake because everyone understood a simple truth: protecting the watershed protects the water.

Now that protection is at risk. The City of Manchester is moving toward selling a 20.8-acre parcel in the Lake Massabesic Protection Overlay District to a developer for a proposed 34-lot subdivision known as Overlook Estates. This parcel includes forested uplands, wetlands, stream corridors, and a direct hydrological connection to Lake Massabesic. Once this land is developed, we cannot get it back.

We need your help now. A coalition of concerned citizens and environmental advocates is raising funds to protect this land, support expert review, inform the public, and pursue every available path to stop a damaging development before it permanently alters the watershed.

An independent environmental report from Seekamp Environmental Consulting makes the stakes unmistakable: this property is a critical ecological link within the Lake Massabesic watershed. Water from the site connects through intermittent tributaries, Bald Hill Brook, Spring Valley Brook, and the high-value “Wetland 25” complex before reaching the reservoir. The report concludes that the parcel’s location, public ownership, conservation status, wetlands, and stream corridors create a clear mandate for conservation.

Despite this expert evidence, the approval process appears to be moving forward with alarming speed. At the hearing, the Seekamp report—the only expert environmental testimony presented—was not meaningfully addressed. Instead of treating watershed protection as the City’s first obligation, decision-makers seem prepared to accept a short-term sale while leaving residents to bear the long-term environmental risk.

Your donation will help us act quickly. Funds raised will support environmental experts, legal and technical review, public outreach, meeting preparation, educational materials, and the work needed to ensure that the public record reflects the real risks to Lake Massabesic.

Please make a contribution today—and please share this appeal with neighbors, friends, civic groups, conservation organizations, and anyone who depends on clean water. Every contribution helps us stand up for the lake, the watershed, and the people who rely on them.

Take action now: donate if you can, contact Manchester officials, attend public meetings, submit comments, and urge the City to keep this parcel protected for watershed conservation.

Why this matters now: the developer’s plan for Overlook Estates calls for 34 lots on land that drains toward Lake Massabesic. The proposal would add roads, driveways, rooftops, lawns, winter salt, fertilizer runoff, and other impervious surfaces within a sensitive watershed. Even small increases in phosphorus can contribute to algae blooms, threatening water quality and the ecological health of the lake. The safest, most responsible choice is to keep this parcel protected.

Please stand with us. Your donation, your voice, and your willingness to act can help prevent a short-term financial decision from becoming a permanent environmental loss. Together, we can protect Lake Massabesic for Manchester, Auburn, and future generations.

And think of the elderly husband and wife who want to continue to have wildlife in their back year. Here I am in this video in my backyard: https://tinyurl.com/cav9f9jh.