Natural Resources Inventory

Description:

The purpose of this Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) is to collect, map and describe important, naturally occurring resources in the town of Francestown. NRI’s are typically used for a variety of purposes including: natural resource planning and management, conservation planning, land use planning, and evaluating effects of land use changes over time. They are also invaluable for educating the public about the resources that exist in a defined area (a town, a watershed, a region), where in the area they are located, and the role they play in contributing to ecological and community health. Natural resource inventories can be used to raise public awareness and understanding of how various land use practices can either harm or prevent harm to the resources’ functions and values.

In the process of mapping Francestown’s natural resources, town residents were invited to contribute local knowledge about the various resources to inform and enhance the quality and usefulness of the inventory information. Residents also identified specific places that have ecological, cultural, historical, recreational, and scenic significance to Francestown. This local knowledge has been integrated with the natural resources data to create a map that summarizes areas in town with important natural resource and community value.

Rural towns, like Francestown, tend to have a relatively high percentage of land that is identified as having important value to the community, particularly in relation to a town’s desire to maintain its rural character. It is important to note that the identification of land as having important natural resource and community value is not intended to imply that this land should be conserved at all cost. This is particularly important to understand as the decision to conserve land is voluntary and rests solely with the individual owner of the land. The designation of “importance” is intended to help land owners understand the values associated with their land so that they are able to make informed land use decisions and hopefully avoid loss of or minimize any degrading of the identified values.

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Maps: