(ENN) — The moose, deer, loons, ospreys, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons living in and around Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge will now have more habitat security and breathing room. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has just acquired 6,218 acres in Errol, NH, as an addition to the refuge.

Umbagog, an Indian word meaning clear water, is a shallow lake. The second largest lake in New Hampshire, it has an average depth of just 15 feet. The refuge straddles the border between Maine and New Hampshire and covers the 8,700-acre lake and its uplands and freshwater marshes, providing habitat for many wetland migratory wildlife species.

The newly acquired property consists of five forested parcels that all lie within the acquisition boundary that was established for the refuge in 1992. The parcels include sugar maple and yellow birch upland forest, a black spruce bog, and a large emergent marsh known as Swett Meadows.

“This acquisition marks a tremendous step forward for the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge because it links together many of the existing refuge holdings and includes critical wetlands,” said refuge manager, Paul Casey. “Its protection guarantees that this area will continue to provide irreplaceable breeding habitat for wildlife populations and will also allow for significantly improved public access.”

Last year, congress appropriated funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to purchase the land and add it to the refuge. The lands were purchased for $3.245 million from Boston-based Hancock Timber Resource Group (HTRG).

Senator Judd Gregg, a Republican who supported the purchase, said, “Our state is renowned for its diverse environmental treasures, including Lake Umbagog, a critical nesting and feeding habitat for several state and federally listed threatened and endangered species. However, without continued funding and preservation, future generations will not be able to enjoy the entire property. Protecting the environment has been one of my highest priorities and I am pleased that these provisions have been allocated by the Fund.”

David Houghton, field office director for the Trust for Public Land which assisted the refuge with the acquisition, called it an important milestone in the effort to protect the lake and its watershed. “We are proud to have worked in partnership with Errol residents and officials, area organisations, New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, and HTRG to help protect this natural and scenic jewel,” he said.

“Lake Umbagog is one of the natural resources that makes New Hampshire special,” said Republican Congressman Charles Bass. “I am pleased to have played a small part in the effort to preserve this property by helping to secure the federal funding needed to ensure that this jewel of the northern New England Forest receives the protected status it deserves.”

Lake Umbagog is home to the largest number of breeding loons in the state of New Hampshire and is the oldest site in the state where bald eagles nest. It also has a healthy duck population.

Many organisations and individuals supported adding these lands to the refuge. They include the Town of Errol, Errol Chamber of Commerce, Lake Umbagog Sportsmen’s Club, the State of New Hampshire, New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Audubon Society of New Hampshire, The Nature Conservancy of New Hampshire, Appalachian Mountain Club, Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, and the Trust for Public Land.

“The Refuge brings a lot of people to our town,” said Errol Selectman Fran Coffin. “It draws kayakers and fishermen in the summer and snowmobilers and cross-country skiers in the winter. So far, it’s been a real asset to our community. The land protected today was needed to round out the Refuge’s holdings. With that accomplished, I hope that more funding will now be allocated to the refuge for visitor services, signage, and management staff.”