Green Mountain Conservation Group

GMCG is a regional conservation organization founded in 1997. Its geographic scope is primarily the “Ossipee Watershed” – defined as the southern portion of the Saco Watershed in New Hampshire, including the Ossipee and Bearcamp Rivers, Ossipee Lake, Silver Lake, and Lake Chocorua, other surface waters, and the large stratified drift aquifer that underlies much of this region and across the border into Maine. Six towns have a majority of their land in this watershed: Eaton Effingham, Freedom, Ossipee, Madison, Sandwich, and Tamworth. Fourteen other New Hampshire towns have a smaller fraction of their land in this watershed as well as towns across the border in Maine.

GMCG’s primary natural resource focus is water. Natural resources such as waters, forests, soils, wildlife, and air quality are interconnected and are connected with human activities, including land uses, individual and commercial activities, and recreation. GMCG advocates for the wise use of land in a way that will not violate the integrity of the natural resource.

VISION : Green Mountain Conservation Group envisions an Ossipee Watershed characterized by clean water and land use decisions that protect shared natural resources for future generation.  

MISSION of GMCG: Green Mountain Conservation Group promotes an awareness of and appreciation for clean water and the wise use of shared natural resources across the Ossipee Watershed and fosters a commitment to protect them.

VALUES and GUIDING PRINCIPLES: GMCG’s core values direct the actions of the organization, its board, staff and volunteers. GMCG is committed to these values and principals, and they will guide our actions as we pursue our vision, mission and objectives.

1.    Respect: We will show respect to our environment, traditional land uses, unique rural culture, staff, board members, volunteers and stakeholders in all aspects of daily actions.

2.    Trust: We will work with honesty and integrity in our daily actions to ensure that stakeholders, volunteers, board members and staff can rely on our work.

3.     Communication: We will strive to listen and to communicate effectively with partners, stakeholders, board, staff and volunteers.

4.     Non-confrontational: We recognize there is a diversity of opinion and perspective about how to resolve the needs of our environment and its stakeholders, and we pledge to work with humility and understanding while pursuing our vision, mission and objectives.

KEY METHODS: To accomplish its mission and goals, GMCG applies the following methods: Research, Education, Advocacy and Land Conservation (REAL). These methods are defined as follows: 

Research: To gather data and scientific information in order to provide Ossipee Watershed stakeholders with information to make appropriate natural resource decisions based on sound science.

Education: To provide the public and individual stakeholders with educational opportunities about the natural resources of the Ossipee Watershed, including their value and sensitivity, through workshops, educational programs, scientific data and research. 

Advocacy: To present objective information about the Ossipee Watershed in a non-confrontational way with the belief that informed citizens will make good judgments about our unique natural resources and take appropriate actions to sustain them. In cases where particular land use change may pose a negative impact to natural resources, GMCG will advocate for that which best protects the natural resources.

Land Conservation: To support natural resource protection through land and conservation easement acquisition and other appropriate methods when it promotes the protection of water resources, agriculture, forestry and wildlife habitat.