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Threat of development, parcel size and holder suitability flagged as key prioritization factors
Summary
Committee members emphasized that co-occurrence scores should be weighed alongside practical factors such as immediate development threat, parcel size, effort and cost to obtain easements, and which organization can best hold the easement; stewardship funds and rights of first refusal were discussed as hedges.
Members identified several non-scoring decision factors that should be considered alongside any co-occurrence map when prioritizing parcels for conservation. Ron Albert highlighted that immediate 'threat of development' can move a parcel up the priority list even if its co-occurrence score is lower, and that land trusts and towns must weigh the effort and cost of obtaining and defending easements.
Caroline Nesbitt and others pointed to parcel size considerations, noting some land trusts accept small parcels if they advance a broader project; the Chocorua Lake Conservancy was cited as an example that takes parcels in its watershed. The committee also discussed tools for hedging monitoring and legal risk, including maintaining a stewardship fund (Tamworth maintains a held-aside stewardship line in its Conservation Fund) and arranging for a land trust to hold an executory or back-up interest; Ron also suggested considering a right-of-first-refusal mechanism during sales.
