Document Identifies Natural Resources and ‘Conservation Focus Areas’
A Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) documenting Bow’s natural elements, including wetlands, waterways, forests, plants and wildlife, has been completed and accepted by the town’s Conservation Commission. The document is expected to be a valuable tool as Bow considers management of existing conservation land and how best to balance the conservation of open space with the inevitable pressure of future development.
“Time, money, and human resources are limited in the accomplishment of conservation,” the NRI introduction states. “Making the effort to document and keep track of the natural resources of a town is an effective and forward-thinking step in taking stock of assets and needs relative to which resources are most important to conservation.”
Bow Natural Resource Inventory
The Conservation Commission believes the NRI provides information to encourage responsible use of all of the natural resources of the town — trails, surface waters, forests and wetlands — used by everyone.
Importantly, the NRI identified 16 Conservation Focus Areas (CFAs), specific areas within the town that have high natural resource values and are largely undeveloped as well as unprotected. The 16 CFAs include, for example, three separate CFAs in proximity to Turee Pond, ranging in size from 18 to 223 acres. Those areas abut existing conserved lands, are adjacent to prime wetlands, and most of the acreage has been identified previously as having high conservation value. In its recommendations, the NRI suggests using the CFAs as a tool for land protection efforts. It also recommends community education and outreach regarding Bow’s biodiversity and the importance of long-term protection strategies. A full listing of the CFAs and the criteria used to identify them can be found in the NRI, which is posted on the Conservation Commission’s website.
The NRI identified more than 90 confirmed or potential vernal ponds in Bow
Of particular interest to Bow Open Spaces is an NRI section focused on recreational trails. It highlights a NH Fish & Game 2019 report describing the impact on wildlife of trails developed by and for humans and cites the Nottingcook Forest trail network as an area “…where conflicts may exist between trail use and protection of wildlife resources.” The NRI recommends that the Fish & Game report be used for the assessment of existing trails and to help guide planning for future trails.
The Bow Master Plan, adopted in 2018, included a chapter on Natural Resources, noting that the creation of an information base such as an NRI would support “…more informed land use decisions.” The NRI was initiated in July, 2019 and conducted by Moosewood Ecological LLC of Chesterfield, NH. The complete NRI, including maps and related documents, is posted on the Conservation Commission webpage.
