Resources

Identification of Important Habitats in Coastal New Hampshire

Use of the Analysis for Conservation Purposes

The analysis has identified specific high value sites within the study area, and documented habitat utility for key species. Three steps need to be taken to translate this information into conservation actions: 1) dissemination of the information; 2) specifying the types of actions to be taken, and 3) acquisition of funding to carry out the actions. Thus, this analysis can be used as justification for matching grants to purchase lands, or justification for regulatory protection or multiple- use management sensitive to resource needs.

Dissemination of Information

We have assembled and/or produced technical information in the form of this report and as digital data. These should be made available to governmental, non-governmental and academic professionals and to knowledgeable lay persons. More general distribution will require production of a popular version of the report, translating the information and summarizing it to focus on the major findings.

We supplied draft maps of environmental themes and habitats, and associated narratives, to reviewers, showed them to Conservation Commissioners from coastal towns and to members of the Living Resources Team of the New Hampshire Estuary Project. All of our environmental and species coverages will be supplied to New Hampshire's central repository, GRANIT, and to the Jackson Estuarine Research Laboratory. We anticipate that the GOMC will publish and distribute the analysis, to make it widely available to conservation interests.

Specification of Actions

The next step is to relate the habitat information from the analysis to potential management, regulatory, and land acquisition actions. Each of these actions can promote conservation most effectively in particular contexts. For example, management can be used to enhance habitat, but may be limited where land is subject to other uses; regulation may not be limited to specific areas, but usually can only maintain the status quo. Purchase of land or easements can allow exclusive rights to manage or protect areas, but this method is limited by relatively high cost. One way to decide on the most effective type of action is to examine the level of threat to the habitat. Banner and Gormley (1996) noted that existing regulation protected much of the highest value habitats identified in Casco Bay, Maine. Most of the lower value habitats at risk from projected land development could be protected by relatively small increases in regulatory setbacks. The remaining high value habitats at risk were relatively small in area, and thus realistic candidates for protection by purchase.

The information in the present report is suitable for further processing to identify habitats most at risk of destruction or degradation. One way of examining threats from future development is to conduct a "buildout" analysis, then overlay the expected development on existing habitats to see which are affected (Banner and Gormley 1996). The New Hampshire Estuaries Project proposes to conduct such a buildout analysis to evaluate potential loss of living resources. Once the threatened habitats are identified, lead agencies should promulgate a strategy for protection. This may take the form of outreach for voluntary conservation on private lands, land purchase by conservation entities or local, state, federal agencies, special designations (sanctuaries, reserves) for private/public lands and waters, or modification of management to multiple use of public lands by the current resource agencies. In some circumstances (where threats are of low level and/or involve a relatively narrow zone around key habitats) this may take the form of zoning setbacks, conservation districting or management; in others (significant unique features, such as bird-nesting islands or heritage sites) the strategy may be to acquire land or an easement.

Once local interests have this information they will be in a position to use it for municipal planning and voluntary habitat protection. The latter may take advantage of a number of funding opportunities for conservation actions, some of which are listed in Appendix B.