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Natural Resources Inventory
- 1. Town of MontgomeryNatural Resources Inventory Presentation to the Town of Montgomery October 21, 2010 Karen Schneller-McDonald, Hickory Creek Consulting LLC
- 2. NYS General Municipal Law:CAC’s, NRIs, and Open Space PlansText 3 5 2 7 4 6 8 1 10 11 917 12 12 20 / Town of Montgomery The County of Orange makes no warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy or completeness of any information depicted on this map. Data depicted here may have been developed in cooperation with other County departments, as well as other Federal, State and Local government agencies. The County of Orange hereby disclaims liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of the information and/or representations contained herein. Prepared June 16, 2008 by the Orange County Planning Department. 0 1 20.5 Miles Legend Roads Drainage Basins - Details Town Boundaries Parcels Text 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
- 3. The Natural ResourcesInventory 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 3
- 4. 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
- 5. Soils and Geology •Soil properties table sample
- 6. 6 E Town of Montgomery Farmsand Farm Fields D=Dairy P=Produce DR=Dairy Replacement E=Equine O=Orchard H=Hay F=Floriculture yellow=equine E O P D H H U U P F P H U H H D D H BD D D D D D D D D D D D D D DR DR DR Notes: Colored circles represent farm headquarters. Green areas are farmed fields. / 0 4,600 9,200 13,800 18,4002,300 Feet
- 7.
- 9. t Habitats and biodiversity: Aquaticand wetland habitats Upland habitats and floodplain forests Plants and animals Significant biodiversity areas, 20 habitat descriptions
- 10. SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMONNAME NY NYNHPATLAS 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 Concern Towns of Montgomery and Wallkill: 2008 This is a working list, subject to periodic updates.
- 11. Sample plant list Someplants of conservation concern
- 12. COMMON NAME SCIENTIFICNAME 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 Concern Towns of Montgomery and Wallkill: 2008 This is a preliminary list, subject to update as necessary. Birds: combining habitat and species information
- 13. NRI Information: Needto 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
- 14. Environmental Assessment Form Part 1 pre-andpost- construction acreages: habitat 14
- 15. Environmental Assessment Form Part 2 identificationof impacts on species and habitats (upland, wetland, aquatic)
- 16. Correlating habitat and species information 3 5 7 4 6 810 11 917 12 12 20 / TheCounty of Orange makes no warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy or completeness of any information depicted on this map. Data depicted here may have been developed in cooperation with other County departments, as well as other Federal, State and Local government agencies. The County of Orange hereby disclaims liability for any loss or damage resulting from the use of the information and/or representations contained herein. pared June 16, 2008 County Planning Department. 1 2 Miles Text Forest Field Wetland/Pond
- 17. Species and habitatsare not evenly distributed within municipal boundaries
- 18. Inventory of plants and animals: identificationof impacts on biodiversity Development-sensitive: Many species, high biodiversity Habitat specialists Specific habitat requirements Complex life cycle requirements Sensitive to development, degraded habitat Development-associated: Few species, low biodiversity Habitat generalists Less-specific habitat requirements Able to adapt to disturbed habitat and habitat edges Associated with development: lawns and landscaping
- 19. Example of biodiversity changes Development-sensitive Amphibians:12 species Reptiles: 12 species Birds: 54 species (example from Southern Wallkill Biodiversity Plan) Development-associated Amphibians: 5 species Reptiles: 6 species Birds: 9 species (example from Southern Wallkill Biodiversity Plan)
- 20. Species of ConservationConcern 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
- 21. ! Nesting area!Streambank! Riparian buffer! Dispersal impediment Roads! ! ! ! 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.
- 22. Biodiversity is notabout rushing to halt development because of the presence of a threatened or endangered species: it is a broader approach that includes the entire landscape
- 23. NRI is aWork 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 23
- 24. Legacy “ We havea 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”
- 25. Karen Schneller-McDonald Hickory CreekConsulting LLC 845 758-2369 *** katykill2@gmail.com *** HickoryCreekLLC.com