The CLNA is NHFG's largest ownership, and under the conservation easement it has a special set of management goals and objectives unique to the property. For example, the CLNA has been separated into two complementary management areas. The first is the 14,995-acre Nature Preserve , which is located east of NH Route 3. This portion of the property will undergo natural vegetation succession without active management, allowing the Department to monitor naturally occurring changes on the landscape. The second area is the remaining 10,005-acre Wildlife Management Area , which is actively managed to maintain and enhance a variety of wildlife species and habitats found in the Connecticut Lakes area.
The terrain and habitats of the CLNA are very diverse. Elevation ranges from approximately 1,100 feet to a maximum of 3,380 feet throughout the CLNA and includes five mountaintops over 3,000 feet and numerous summits over 2,700 feet. Principal landforms include mountain tops and high slopes, rocky ridges and cliffs, mid-slopes, lower slopes and valley bottoms, riparian zones, wetland basins, and open water. As a result of the diverse terrain, the CLNA contains a wealth of natural communities and wildlife habitats, as well as a large number of rare and imperiled plant and animal species.