Wed. May 6th, 7-9pm – Opera House/Town Hall
Please help Identify Plainfield's Natural Resources
The Plainfield Conservation and Planning Commissions need your help! Plainfield's Town Plan calls for an inventory of what significant natural communities exist in Plainfield.
Plainfield's Conservation and Plannning Commissions are holding a public forum (the first of two) on Wed. May 6th, as an integral part of this inventory project. The second forum will be held s of in about a year, to report the results of the inventory.
The first forum will include both:
- a presentation of preliminary natural resource analyses and,
- an opportunity for attendees to share their knowledge of area natural resources.
We will provide large town maps displayed on tables, and invite people to mark locations of natural features, species, or other relevant information.
We need help identifying:
• Forests & Flora - mature forests of any kind, big &/or old trees, unusual forests or unusual tree species, rare plants
• Wildlife & Animals - Important wildlife areas for different species, wildlife/animal sightings of note, critical wildlife habitat, such as vernal pools for salamanders
• Wetlands and Water - Wetlands of any size; bogs or peatlands, Vernal or temporary pools (which may dry up in the summer), seeps, springs, natural pond shores relatively free or human intrusions; wild stream reaches; meandering/slackwater stream segments
• Physical/Geological Landscape Features - Cliffs/significant ledges, waterfalls and cascades, ravines, stand out/unusual rocks, boulders, blocks or boulder fields, talus slopes, unusual/distinct soils or deposits: clays, sandy/gravelly, mucks & peats; glacial features: kame terraces, eskers, fluvial, lacustrine
A little history on this project:
Plainfield’s town plan was revised over the past two years and readopted in February 2014. Several parts of the town plan specify the need for an inventory and map of significant natural communities.
We want to plan effectively for future development, as well as prioritize and conserve important natural resources. In order to do so, we need to know and describe exactly what we have and where it is, in terms of significant natural communities.This project will provide the data the town needs to make solid, informed planning, zoning and conservation decisions.
To summarize, we need to know what significant natural communities exist in Plainfield, where they are, where to maintain connected networks of natural cover for them, and how to prioritize our regulatory and non-regulatory protection efforts. Roads, housing, mineral extraction, telecommunications, business and energy development – all have their impacts on natural communities, which in turn have impacts on our economy and quality of life.
Residents and visitors alike value Vermont ’s natural beauty and rich biological diversity. Our efforts to ensure the protection of Plainfield 's natural environment, while balancing conservation of plant and animal species with the economic diversity and viability of the town itself require this inventory.
Please join us!
For more information, please contact Jan Waterman (jmwinvt@hotmail.com)
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