Conservation commission starts update of 2010 Natural Resources Inventory, plans steering committee and public outreach

Theresa Walker of Rockingham Planning told the Conservation Commission on Oct. 9 that the primary task in updating Greenland's 2010 Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) is producing new map layers, while resource descriptions (soils, wetlands, aquifers) will largely carry over from the prior document.

Walker said RPC's GIS staffer Rob Prine will not begin map work until after the new year and that updated maps are expected under the contract by February, with the narrative writing to follow once the maps are available. "A lot of the narrative writing ... can't really start till the maps are updated," Walker said.

Commission members discussed forming a steering committee to guide the update and outreach. Walker recommended representatives from the planning board, recreation committee and other stakeholder groups, and suggested the commission could run the work through its regular monthly meetings. She also recommended sending the commission the 2010 NRI as a starting point to identify gaps or new priorities.

The update scope Walker outlined includes land-use and build-out analysis, soils, surface-water and wetland mapping, aquifer and agricultural soils layers, wildlife-action and coastal watershed conservation plans, impervious-surface mapping and references to FEMA flood-plain and sea-level-rise vulnerability assessments. Walker said those datasets will be integrated into a more "user-friendly" digital product than the 2010 PDF that many residents find inaccessible.

On public engagement, Walker proposed soliciting photos and short anecdotes from residents to illustrate local natural-resource features and suggested a photo contest with a small prize to generate interest. Commissioners agreed outreach should wait until the updated maps are available for review so the public does not "cry wolf" over incomplete products; in the meantime, they discussed using existing master-plan survey data to craft questions and set up a repository (a town email or the planning commission) to receive submissions.

The commission also discussed website and accessibility logistics: a need to ensure the final document and any web pages meet ADA requirements and to provide a clear place for the public to view maps and submit material. Walker offered to draft survey questions and outreach language and to follow up on whether the planning commission could host incoming email submissions.

Next steps: Walker and RPC will provide timing and suggested survey questions; the commission will nominate steering-committee members and compile documents and prior surveys for Walker to review. Walker will begin drafting narrative sections that do not depend on final maps and will return with format recommendations for public engagement.