FARMINGTON, NH—Area Selectmen, Planning Board members, and other community leaders recently enjoyed a relaxing, informative evening at Ristorante La Contadina in downtown Farmington, NH courtesy of Moose Mountain Regional Greenways (MMRG). Community leaders were treated to refined cuisine, old-world ambiance, and two short presentations designed to assist with their future planning efforts. The New Hampshire Estuary Project sponsored this first-in-the-region informational event.
Over the past three years, Moose Mountain Regional Greenways has worked to produce a number of important products for the specific benefit of its member towns. During the evening dinner event, MMRG delivered these products, explained their uses, and answered questions from community leaders
Some of these tools resulted from a comprehensive evaluation of surface waters conducted by Moose Mountain Regional Greenways in all six member communities. This three-year project, which entailed thousands of hours of volunteer time and tens of thousands of dollars in donated professional services, resulted in archives of valuable data of use to planners, conservation commissioners and others. Town representatives now have access to a user-friendly handbook featuring information about each community that will assist with recognizing wetlands of special importance and in addressing specific Planning Board applications.
Community leaders were also presented with a digital inventory of large lots in Farmington, New Durham and Brookfield. These maps, which correlate with state and other digital data resources, will greatly facilitate community efforts for for landscape-scale planning.
Dinner attendees also received the results of a survey of every other household in the Moose Mountain Regional Greenway region. These surveys gleaned important feedback regarding how residents feel about community natural resources, what they know about them, and how they use them. This feedback will be particularly helpful to towns that are planning to develop or update community master plans.
In addition, guest presenters from North Hampton Forever described the benefits of municipal bonding for conservation land and shared data showing how locally funding such conservation easements and land purchases helps to control the costs of growth.
“The purpose of bringing our town fathers and planners together was to present these great tools to them, and to thank them for their ongoing support,” said Moose Mountain Regional Greenways Chairman of the Board Cynthia Wyatt. “In these times of rapid growth, town leaders have a unique opportunity to design communities that retain the rural character and economic viability that New Hampshire is famous for.”
“I found the event informative and enjoyable,” said Middleton Selectman Jack Savage. “My time talking shop with the Selectman from Wakefield should help us build the kinds of regional alliances that Moose Mountain Greenways is striving for.”
Moose Mountain Regional Greenways is a non-profit organization that works to protect and connect the most special undeveloped lands of Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham and Wakefield, New Hampshire. For more information, contact 603-473-2535 or visit www.moosemountaingreenway.org
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