Conservation Inventory Completed

In Dover, we are fortunate to have over 3,000 acres of land in preservation. This is out approximately 15,000 acres within the City. During 2010, the Planning Department applied for and received a grant to inventory and document each piece of land in conservation. The Conservation Consulting firm Kane & Ingraham recently completed this comprehensive City-wide functional inventory of all protected lands in the City of Dover.

A total of 3,098 acres of lands are subject to some form of restrictions for conservation use. Each parcel has been tallied in the course of the project. 742 of these acres were newly-documented conservation acres resulting from this study. The results of this project are available for viewing on-line via a portal on the City of Dover’s website at www.dover.nh.gov.

For each conservation parcel, a profile sheet has been prepared. Information included on the profile sheet includes name, size, tax parcel number, type of protection, use limitations, and registry of deeds book and page information if applicable.

The inventory information will be used to update the conservation data maintained in the New Hampshire's Statewide Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Clearinghouse (GRANIT). This project was funded in part by a grant from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, as authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program, and helps implement the Partnership's Management Plan for the Region's estuaries.

Next Steps
That's great you say. Nice now we have an inventory, so what? Well, my friend, now begins the good part. The information gathered in the inventory will be very helpful as the Planning Board begins the process of updating the Conservation and Open Space chapter of the Master Plan.

Additionally, it will prove to be very useful for residents who want to enjoy the open space that the community has worked so hard to identify and preserve. The online inventory is going to be worked into the ongoing online GIS project that staff is working on. Ultimately, my hope is that you will be able to go online and view the interactive map, and click on a parcel and the collected information about the property will be displayed.

In the meantime, check out the map, and inventory, and congratulate your community on the work we have achieved with conservation and preservation of valuable resources.