March 1999

The residents of Gilsum vote to allow the Planning Board to waive frontage and lot size requirements for subdivisions that are created for the sole purpose of setting land aside for conservation.

September 1999

A conservation easement designed by Valerie and Pablo with the help of Ben Mankhe of the Monadnock Conservancy, is presented to the Gilsum Conservation Commission for consideration. There are some members of the commission who refuse to accept the easement because of restrictions pertaining to hunting, logging and snowmobiling.

Valerie begins to pursue the formation of a nonprofit organization to resolve legal issues and to assure a perpetual, sustainable, guardianship of the land.

A path is taken, with the guidance of Terry Knowles, Registrar with the Department of the Attorney General, Charitable Trusts Unit, to create The Emerson Brook Forest Sustainability Project as a legal entity.