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Town of Henniker, New Hampshire Conservation Commission Henniker Conservation Plan Adopted Fall 2004 (updated November 2006) and Conservation Activity Timeline (updated February 2007) Vision Statement: Henniker will have practices and policies which protect valuable and vulnerable natural resources and the quality of the life associated with the rural nature of the Town by balancing development and conservation. Intent: The Conservation Commission intends that this plan (based on data contained in the Natural Resources Inventory completed by the Commission in 2003, the Town's Master Plan [available at www.henniker.org], and on-going projects) will guide the Town's actions with an eye to the Town's conservation long-term interests. The plan is intended only to guide the Commission's prioritization of projects in the next few years and is not meant to be comprehensive. Goals: The following goals are from taken from the 2002 Master Plan, Chapter VIII "Conservation, Preservation, and Open Space". References are noted to the Master Plan or to the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) for those goals which relate to narratives contained in these documents. A glossary of terms can be found in Appendix I. v Protect the quality of Henniker’s water resources Ø Shoreland protection (Master Plan pages 229-237; NRI Section 2.1 · Adopt shoreland protection ordinance · Work to protect riparian zones Ø Watershed protection (Master Plan pages 229-237) · Identify impacts of non-point source pollution · Adopt watershed protection ordinance Ø Groundwater protection (Master Plan pages 233, 235,237-240; NRI Section 2.1) · Identify and monitor wellhead zones · Update water resources management plan · Adopt groundwater protection ordinance Ø Wetland Protection (Master Plan pages 233-237; NRI Section 2.1) · Designate prime wetlands · Adopt wetland buffer ordinance Ø Surface Water quality (Master Plan pages 229-233; NRI Section 2.1) · Continue annual lake monitoring · Implement invasive weed monitoring and protection program · Continue French Pond mitigation project · Update water resources management plan · Adopt watershed protection ordinance v Protect valuable land resources such as: Prime agriculture land, forest blocks and unfragmented lands (Master Plan pages 242-258; NRI Section 2.2) Ø Implement land protection prioritization criteria Ø Develop a management plan for town owned lands Ø Develop a strategy to preserve critical natural communities v Protect and preserve natural communities (Master Plan pages 251-255; NRI Sections 2.3) Ø Identify critical wildlife habitat Ø Monitor vernal pools Ø Develop a strategy to preserve critical natural communities v Encourage sustainable multiple use of land and water resources (Master Plan pages 247-249; NRI Sections 2.1 - 2.3) Ø Work towards a sustainable balance between individual property rights and public recreation access to land and water resources. For example, ATV and class VI road regulations. v Increase public awareness of conservation opportunities in Henniker (Master Plan pages 23142-243, 244-246,249-251,255) Ø Present land preservation options to the public Ø Provide public education opportunities on such subjects as: § Surface and ground water protection § Septic maintenance § Shoreland protection § Wetlands identification and protection § Forestry practices v Protect Henniker’s air quality Ø Identify and address potential sources of air pollution v Develop relationships with other Conservation Commissions, private organizations, State environmental agencies and state and local representatives (Master Plan pages 219, 221,251) Conservation Activity Timelinefor 2007 - 2009(Note: This timeline is intended to guide the prioritization of projects in the next few years. It is updated annually in response to public input, new information, and changes in resources. Last updated February 2007.)
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