natural resources inventory
DESCRIPTION
overview of natural resources inventory in new york townshipTRANSCRIPT
Town of Montgomery Natural Resources Inventory
Presentation to the Town of Montgomery October 21, 2010Karen Schneller-McDonald, Hickory Creek Consulting LLC
NYS General Municipal Law: CAC’s, NRIs, and Open Space PlansText
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Town of Montgomery
The County of Orange makes no warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy or completeness of any information depictedon this map. Data depicted here may havebeen developed in cooperat ion with otherCounty departments, as well as other Federal,State and Local government agencies. TheCounty of Orange hereby disclaims liabilityfor any loss or damage resulting from the useof the information and/or representationscontained herein.
Prepared June 16, 2008by the Orange County Planning Department.
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LegendRoads
Drainage Basins - Details
Town Boundaries
Parcels
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Aerial Photography - 2004
Just as each parcel is a small part of the Town, the NRI is part of a larger effort to identify and protect natural resources
Biodiversity Assessment Training: Town of Montgomery study area report and habitat map Southern Wallkill Biodiversity Plan
Biodiversity Assessment Manual for the Hudson River Estuary Corridor
New York State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy
Orange County Open Space Plan
New York Natural Heritage Program
New York State Open Space Plan
"The environment is not a competing interest to be balanced with other interests; rather, it is the playing field, the very foundation, upon which all our interests compete." ~ Dr. Michael Klemens, Founder, Metropolitan Conservation Alliance
Wallkill River Corridor Study: Town of Montgomery
The Natural Resources Inventory documents the unique rural character
of the place where you live
• Soils and geology
• Water• Habitats, plants and animals
• Significant biodiversity areas• Protected lands
• Historic sites
• Air quality• Assessing impacts on watersheds and biodiversity
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NRI Maps and Tables
• Aerial View
• Steep Slopes
• Farms and Prime/Statewide
Agricultural Soils
• Water Resources
• Public Wells and Aquifers
• Stream Biomonitoring (table and map)
• Protected Lands
• Historic Register Sites
• 1895 Maps
• Soils
• Plants
• Birds
• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Dragonflies and Damselflies
• Fish
Soils and Geology
• Soil properties table sample
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Town of MontgomeryFarms and Farm Fields
D=DairyP=ProduceDR=DairyReplacementE=EquineO=OrchardH=HayF=Floricultureyellow=equine
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Notes: Colored circles represent farm headquarters.Green areas are farmed fields. /0 4,600 9,200 13,800 18,4002,300
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Habitats and biodiversity: Aquatic and wetland habitats
Upland habitats and floodplain forests
Plants and animals
Significant biodiversity areas, 20 habitat descriptions
SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME NY NYNHP ATLAS USFWS WET-LAND
Shawan-gunk Kill
Wall- kill
River
Agrimonia parviflora agrimony, swamp Watch list FAC * *
Agrimonia rostella agrimony, woodland T Active inventory FACU
Aplectrum hyemale puttyroot E Active inventory FACU
Arethusa bulbosa dragon's mouth orchid T Active inventory OBL
Arisaema dracontium green dragon V FACW *
Aristolochia serpentaria Virginia snakeroot E Active inventory UPL
Asclepias purpurascens purple milkweed Active inventory FACU
Aster vimineus small white aster * *
Atriplex dioica thickleaf orah E Active inventory
Bartonia paniculata spp.paniculata
screw-stem E Active inventory OBL
Betula nigra birch, river V Watch list FACW *
Bidens bidentoides Delmarva beggar-ticks R Active inventory FACW
Bidens laevis smooth bur-marigold T Active inventory OBL
Boechera missouriensis green rock-cress T Active inventory
Boechera stricta Drummond’s rock cress
E Active inventory
Plants of Conservation ConcernTowns of Montgomery and Wallkill: 2008This is a working list, subject to periodic updates.
Sample plant list
Some plants of conservation concern
COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME US NY PIF SGCN DEV-SEN
HABITAT
GREBES, WADING BIRDS, DUCKS
American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus SC PIF X X OU, MSW
American black duck Anas rubripes PIF X X MSW, LW
Black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax PIF X TF, MSW, LW
Blue-winged teal Anas discors X MSW, OU
Least bittern Ixobrychus exilis T PIF X X MSW
Wood duck Aix sponsa PIF X
Pied billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps T PIF X X MSW, LC
DIURNAL RAPTORS
Cooper's hawk Accipiter cooperii SC PIF X X TF
Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus SC PIF X X TF, MSW
Sharp-shinned hawk Accipiter striatus SC PIF X X TF
Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis SC PIF X TF, AM
Northern harrier Circus cyaneus T X OU, MSW, LW
Birds of Conservation ConcernTowns of Montgomery and Wallkill: 2008This is a preliminary list, subject to update as necessary.
Birds: combining habitat and
species information
NRI Information: Need to know what the resources are and where they are located in order to protect them
Information for EAF and EIS, site plan reviews
Saves time during project review, and provides for consistent reviews
Cumulative impact assessment - Evaluate resources across property boundaries
Mitigation: effectiveness depends on accurate identificationof resources and impacts
Basis for Habitat Assessment Guidelines
Open space planning
Environmental Assessment Form Part 1
pre-and post- construction
acreages: habitat
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Environmental Assessment Form Part 2
identification of impacts on species
and habitats (upland, wetland,
aquatic)
Correlating habitat and species information 3
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Town of Montgomery
The County of Orange makes no warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy or completeness of any information depictedon this map. Data depicted here may havebeen developed in cooperat ion with otherCounty departments, as well as other Federal,State and Local government agencies. TheCounty of Orange hereby disclaims liabilityfor any loss or damage resulting from the useof the information and/or representationscontained herein.
Prepared June 16, 2008by the Orange County Planning Department.
0 1 20.5Miles
LegendRoads
Drainage Basins - Details
Town Boundaries
Parcels
Text
Aerial Photography - 2004
Forest
Field
Wetland/Pond
Species and habitats are not evenly distributed within municipal boundaries
Inventory of plants and animals:
identification of impacts on biodiversity
Development-sensitive: Many species, high biodiversityHabitat specialistsSpecific habitat requirementsComplex life cycle requirementsSensitive to development, degraded habitat
Development-associated: Few species, low biodiversityHabitat generalistsLess-specific habitat requirementsAble to adapt to disturbed habitat and habitat edgesAssociated with development: lawns and landscaping
Example of biodiversity changes
Development-sensitive Amphibians: 12 speciesReptiles: 12 speciesBirds: 54 species(example from Southern Wallkill Biodiversity Plan)
Development-associated Amphibians: 5 speciesReptiles: 6 speciesBirds: 9 species(example from Southern Wallkill Biodiversity Plan)
Species of Conservation Concern
Absence indicates habitat loss or degradation
Presence is associated with higher biodiversity
Interconnections among species and populations
Specific habitat requirements
Montgomery NRI identifies:
Birds-- 75 species
Reptiles-- 10 species
Amphibians-- 16 species
! Nesting area! Streambank! Riparian buffer! Dispersal impedimentRoads! ! ! !Impervious surfaces! ! ! !Grading/construction! ! ! !
Nesting sites
Streambank condition
Size of riparian buffer
Corridors for movement
Food source
Adult turtles
Hatchlings
Grading/vegetation removal
Impervious surfaces
Roads
Construction
Post-construction use (pets, pesticides)
Sample species impacts table: wood turtle
A table similar to the simplified example below can be used to connect project activities with impacts on a particular species or group. This can facilitate the development and evaluation of effective mitigation measures.
Biodiversity is not about rushing to halt development because of the presence of a threatened or endangered species: it is a broader
approach that includes the entire landscape
NRI is a Work in Progress: Continue to add and update information as needed
• New studies, add information as it becomes available (Biodiversity AssessmentTraining report and habitat mapping)
• Municipal needs
• Additional text/ topics
• Additional maps and tables
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Legacy
“ We have a moral commitment to leave for future generations a livable environment even perhaps a better one than the one we inherited, certainly not one that has been further depleted.” --Amatai Etzioni, “Spirit of Community”
Karen Schneller-McDonald
Hickory Creek Consulting LLC
845 758-2369 *** [email protected] *** HickoryCreekLLC.com