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Consultants present Natural Resources Inventory to Shandaken planning board; project to support comp plan and grants
Summary
Consultants presented a draft Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) for Shandaken, emphasizing map-based deliverables, community photo contributions, and that the NRI is informational (non-regulatory). The project is funded by a Hudson River Estuary Program grant and mapped by Hudsonia Limited.
Consultants for the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) project presented an overview to the Shandaken Planning Board, describing the NRI as a map-centered, non-regulatory inventory designed to support land-use decisions and the town's comprehensive plan. Julia Solomon, who identified herself as the lead consultant, said the project is funded by the Hudson River Estuary Program and that mapping work is being done by Hudsonia Limited.
Solomon told the board that an NRI provides parcel-level maps (topography, floodplains, habitat, cultural resources) and a concise narrative so users can assess resources when reviewing development proposals. "An NRI is essentially what it says. It is an inventory ..." she said. She noted the town asked for a pragmatic, user-friendly product rather than an exhaustive multi-hundred page report, and that the maps will be delivered as high-resolution files and a PDF suitable for the town website.
Presenters said the NRI will help the town in the comprehensive plan update and increase competitiveness for grants, noting the town is already Bronze certified in the Climate Smart community program and that an NRI will help move toward Silver certification. The project team invited community participation through a photo-blitz over the summer to collect images illustrating local features; the consultant said the project will draft maps over the summer and fall and return with a public draft in early winter for feedback.
Board members asked whether historic structures, easements, wildlife habitat layers (e.g., bald eagle), and emergency-services information could be included; consultants said these items could be mapped where spatial data exist and added to the narrative if necessary. The consultant recommended periodic updates (roughly every five years) and said the product could be adapted later for interactive parcel viewers if the town wished to invest further in hosting.
