Greater Goose Pond Forest

We built a bridge! Thanks to our community donors and our generous financial partner – the Savings Bank of Walpole – we eclipsed our fundraising goal of $20,000 and installed the Goose Pond Spillway Bridge in November of 2025. The Greater Goose Pond Stewardship Committee welcomed community volunteers and City Staff to join Snowhawk LLC in planning, sourcing materials, and constructing the bridge and approaches. There is still an opportunity to enhance the new bridge by making it truly accessible: help us build a ramp! We are still accepting donations in person at the Keene Recreation Center and online at KeeneParks.RecDesk.Com

Greater Goose Pond Forest Stewardship Plan

At 1,044 acres, the Greater Goose Pond Forest (GGPF) is Keene’s largest city-owned open space. To ensure this resource is maintained into the future, the City developed a Stewardship Plan for the Forest that will guide how the land should be managed and cared for over the next decade.

Links to the Stewardship Plan are available below:

GREATER GOOSE POND FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLAN
PLAN APPENDICES
FOREST TRAIL ASSESSMENT:
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 5

Stewardship Plan Overview

The Stewardship Plan guides how the City will care for and manage the Greater Goose Pond Forest with the following identified focus areas:

Enhancing natural communities
Protecting sensitive plants, wildlife, and cultural features
Supporting public access, recreation, and education
Increasing habitat diversity

The City partnered with Moosewood Ecological LLC, along with forestry and trail consultants, to complete fieldwork, collect data, and engage the community. This scope of this work informed a comprehensive assessment of the forest’s ecological, cultural, recreational, and timber resources—and clear recommendations for future management.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback at the Community Forum.

Project Background

Goose Pond was created in 1868 as Keene’s first reservoir, with surrounding lands protected to preserve water quality. Once the pond was removed from the water supply in 1984, the 42-acre natural space was opened for low-impact public recreation. Since then, the City has guided its care through a series of plans:

1985: Original forest master plan
1992: Plan update
2006: Forest Management Plan
2009: Conservation easement established with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

This easement permanently protects the forest and requires an updated Stewardship Plan to guide its future. The current Stewardship Plan is the next step in ensuring the forest is thoughtfully managed for both conservation and community use.