It is located in Cornish and covers 29 acres (120,000 m2; 12 ha).

The Cornish WMA was purchased in 1972 with Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act funds to, in this case, provide anglers access to the Connecticut River.

[1] As of May 2013, there were eight agricultural preservation restrictions or conservation easements along New Hampshire Route 12A in Cornish, all of which have been set up by private landowners to protect the farmland for future generations.

[2] WMAs, in general, are designated for protection and improvement of habitat wildlife, and for public recreation, including hunting, fishing, trapping (by permit only), and wildlife watching.

WMAs are subsidized by the Federal government under the authority of the Dingell–Johnson Act (aka the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act), enacted in 1950, authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance for state fish restoration and management plans and projects.