A Citizen’s Guide to Wildlife Habitat and Natural Resource Inventories in the Nashua River Watershed Written and compiled by James DeNormandie Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...............................................................................................................................................4 SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................5 SECTION 1.1 - WHY INVENTORY HABITAT AND NATURAL RESOURCES?.......................................................................5 SECTION 1.2 - WHAT IS A WILDLIFE HABITAT OR NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY? ..................................................8 SECTION 1.3 - HOW CAN INVENTORIES BE USED?........................................................................................................12 SECTION 1.4 - INTENDED AUDIENCE ............................................................................................................................17 SECTION 1.5 - FORMAT OF THE GUIDE..........................................................................................................................17 SECTION 2 - DEFINING AND INITIATING THE INVENTORY .....................................................................20 SECTION 2.1 - REASONS TO UNDERTAKE LOCAL INVENTORIES ...................................................................................20 SECTION 2.2 - DEFINE THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT.......................................................................................................21 SECTION 2.3 - DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT...............................................................................................23 SECTION 2.4 - SELECT AN APPROPRIATE INVENTORY TECHNIQUE ..............................................................................25 SECTION 2.5 - ESTABLISH A STEERING COMMITTEE, WORKING GROUP, AND INITIAL PLANNING MEETING...............25 SECTION 2.6 - IDENTIFY THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED AND AVAILABLE ..........................................................27 SECTION 2.7 - PUBLICIZE FROM THE OUTSET................................................................................................................31 SECTION 2.8 - BEGIN WORK ON THE INVENTORY.........................................................................................................31 SECTION 3. RECENT INVENTORIES IN THE NASHUA RIVER WATERSHED.........................................33 SECTION 3.1 - MASSACHUSETTS BIOMAP....................................................................................................................33 SECTION 3.2 - PETAPAWAG AND SQUANNASSIT AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN (ACEC)............35 SECTION 3.3 - NASHUA RIVER WATERSHED FOCUS AREAS..........................................................................................37 SECTION 3.4 - NATURAL COMMUNITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT INVENTORIES...........................................................39 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................................42 APPENDIX I - TYPES OF HABITAT AND NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORIES ...................................44 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................44 SIMPLE INVENTORIES....................................................................................................................................................50 MODERATE INVENTORIES.............................................................................................................................................64 COMPLEX INVENTORIES ...............................................................................................................................................92 APPENDIX II – EXAMPLES OF INVENTORIES IN THE NASHUA RIVER WATERSHED .....................110 WILDLIFE HABITAT ANALYSIS AND INVENTORY OF THE GROTON PLACE, GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS................111 THE GROTON PLACE, GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS ...................................................................................................111 BOTANICAL INVENTORY OF FUTTERMAN / HAYNIE PROPERTY, ASHBY, MA.........................................................112 FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, TOWN OF SHIRLEY....................................................................................................112 THE NASHUA RIVER GREENWAY – PEPPEREL POND AREA......................................................................................113 NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, BEAVER BROOK ASSOCIATION, HOLLIS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.............113 NATURAL RESOURCE SECTION OF THE 1998 MASTER PLAN, HOLLIS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.......................................114 APPENDIX III –FOCUS AREAS..............................................................................................................................116 LARGE FOCUS AREAS ..................................................................................................................................................116 MEDIUM-SIZED FOCUS AREAS ...................................................................................................................................120 SMALL FOCUS AREAS AND RIPARIAN CORRIDORS ...................................................................................................122 RIPARIAN CORRIDORS................................................................................................................................................127 APPENDIX IV – REFERENCES................................................................................................................................129 GENERAL ....................................................................................................................................................................129 WILDLIFE-RELATED ....................................................................................................................................................129 WATER-RELATED ........................................................................................................................................................131 FEDERAL PUBLICATIONS.............................................................................................................................................132 STATE PUBLICATIONS..................................................................................................................................................133 LOCAL PUBLICATIONS ................................................................................................................................................134 APPENDIX V - RESOURCES – AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS..........................................................135 WATERSHED ASSOCIATIONS ......................................................................................................................................135 REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS.........................................................................................................................135 CONSERVATION COMMISSIONS ..................................................................................................................................136 WILDLIFE RELATED RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................139 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ....................................................................................................................................141 NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) AND CONSERVATION DISTRICT OFFICES .......................143 FARM SERVICE AGENCIES ..........................................................................................................................................144 FEDERAL OFFICES........................................................................................................................................................144 OTHER USEFUL ORGANIZATIONS ...............................................................................................................................145 APPENDIX VI – GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................147 APPENDIX VII - SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DOING FIELD WORK .........................................151 APPENDIX VIII - GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS)............................................................153 SHOULD YOU USE A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM? .....................................................................................153 GIS SOFTWARE ...........................................................................................................................................................155 WHAT IS MASSGIS? ...................................................................................................................................................155 WHAT IS THE NH GRANIT GIS DATABASE?............................................................................................................156 GETTING GIS MAPS AND ASSISTANCE WITH GIS?.....................................................................................................156 APPENDIX IX - IMPORTANT TOPICS