Dave Olson is a firm believer that decisions based on love always work out. His love for his land and the creatures who dwell there are at the core of his decision to conserve his 72-acre property, the Bel Ami Farm, for ongoing public benefit.

As a former professor at the University of New Hampshire, Dave taught wildlife biology, fire ecology, and forest management. He’s always known the value of his land. Tucked away in a quiet corner of Madbury, it is nestled along the banks of the Bellamy River and Reservoir and is home to abundant wildlife, a blueberry plantation, a small 12-acre cut-your-own Christmas tree farm, and forests with nearly 35 species of native trees.

Dave’s desire to conserve his land was driven by his educational and academic background, as well as the “Yankee tradition of keeping land open.”

The first thing he did when he got the land in 1974 was to take down the gates and open access to the Bellamy Reservoir. He tries to speak with everyone who accesses the reservoir from this point. No easy task considering that, by his count calculating each visit and person, the property was accessed 8,000
times last year for kayaking, fishing, hiking, and other low-impact uses. It’s his goal to continue to allow low-impact uses.

Dave thinks that the property’s appeal is in large part because “The reservoir isn’t a shoreline dotted with houses and docks. It’s wild. People get a chance to see beautiful wild landscapes, to catch fish, to hunt, to see a lot of different wildlife.”

And, wildlife is abundant here. Ever the scientist, Dave tracks the biodiversity of his land. His detailed notes include whether creatures are nesting on the land or just passing through. It lists 108 species of birds, 22 large and small mammals, and 17 different amphibians and reptiles. 

Beyond these values, the protection of the Bellamy Reservoir is a high priority for the City of Portsmouth, as the Bellamy is its primary water supply. With problems at Pease and increasing groundwater contamination, Seacoast residents and their towns now know that clean drinking water should not be taken for granted. Conserving land that surrounds, or includes, wetlands, rivers, streams, and larger bodies of water like the Bellamy
protects water resources from the pressures of development and helps municipal water systems provide higher quality water at the tap.

That’s why this February, Southeast Land Trust (SELT), the City, and Dave agreed on a partnership to permanently conserve this land through the sale of a conservation easement. To support the effort, SELT helped the City apply for, and receive, a grant from the newly established New Hampshire Groundwater and Drinking Water Trust Fund. These funds made conserving this property in Madbury possible.

According to Al Pratt, Water Resource Manager for the City of Portsmouth, “Portsmouth City Council support in appropriating the remainder of the funds for this purchase is very much appreciated and is in line with the City of Portsmouth’s long-term commitment to sustainability.”

He continues, “The conservation easement on Mr. Olson’s property is an important step toward the continued long-term protection of the Bellamy Reservoir and the quality of the drinking water supply for Portsmouth and the Seacoast area. We hope
that this project will be the keystone parcel for further land protection efforts in the Bellamy watershed.”

Through this conservation easement, Dave is enshrining his passion for this special place. And in doing so, he’s ensuring that people – whether by kayaking the reservoir, hiking its shoreline, or turning the tap on in Portsmouth, will experience the beauty
and wildness of the Bellamy.