Eaton Natural Resource Inventory

Purpose

The rural character of Eaton is epitomized by its open spaces, scenic vistas, lakes and streams, and abundant natural resources. To preserve and enhance these qualities it is important to have a detailed inventory of the Town’s natural resources. Indeed, New Hampshire statute RSA 36-A:2 requires the Conservation Commission to establish such an inventory “of all open space and natural, aesthetic or ecological areas” in the town, with the aim “of obtaining information pertinent to the proper utilization of such areas.”

This natural resource inventory (NRI) is intended to be a handy reference for town boards and local landowners in setting priorities for land use. Knowledge of local soils, water resources, and wildlife habitat can help the Planning Board make decisions about zoning regulations. The Select Board can make well informed decisions about building permits. Local landowners can make choices to improve wildlife habitat and choose optimal locations for trails and other recreational pursuits. In short the NRI will help preserve Eaton’s natural heritage and ensure that healthy and resilient ecosystems and the benefits they provide are available to future generations.

Almost all of the information presented here is available from other public sources. However, many of these public sources are designed for professional use and are difficult to navigate for the casual user. This inventory is designed for easy use and as a result has less features than the original sources. For those who would like to explore any topic more deeply a list of sources is provided at the end of each page.

The maps and narrative in this inventory are broad in nature, describing the general characteristics of an area. They give an indication of the conditions on individual property lots, but the specific conditions on any lot can only be determined through on site examination.

Contents of the Inventory

This inventory is organized in seven sections: Home, Land, Water, Biology, People,Town Lands, and Maps. Each section is accessible on the menu bar at the top of the page. You are currently on the 'Home" page which provides an introduction to the inventory. It consists of the purpose of the inventory described above, this summary of inventory contents, and a list of general sources used in assembling the information in the inventory.

Each of the 7 sections also has a pull down menu of topics in that category. This Home section includes four topics. The first is a brief guide on how to use the many interactive maps included in the inventory. It also delineates the zoning districts in Eaton as well as the the boundaries of neighboring towns. The second topic is information and a map to help you find individual lots if you know their map page and lot number. The third topic is an overview of the characteristics of the Town of Eaton. The final topic is about the climate in Eaton and the surrounding region.

The Land section shows the topography of the town, town geology, and soil types found in the town. The Water section starts with surface waters, including lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands, and proceeds with flood hazard areas and subsurface water resources. The Biology section discusses the different types of wildlife habitat found in Eaton, rare and invasive species, and which areas in Eaton provide the most critical habitat.

The section on People focuses on the impact the population has on the land. It includes parts on unfragmented land, production of food and fiber, recreation, conservation, education, historic sites, aesthetics, and ownership of open space land. The Town Lands section has information about land owned by the Town of Eaton and managed by the Eaton Conservition Commission.

All of these sections include maps focused on the particular topic at hand. The final section on Maps consists of maps with several layers all related to a particular theme. For each of these maps you can select which layers to show depending on what you are interested in seeing. There are layered maps related to conservation, planning, and each of the four main secitons: Land, Water, Biology, and People.

Sources

Most pages of this inventory have a final section labeled "Sources" that lists the sources that were consulted in preparing the information for that page. This also serves as a bibliography as most of these sources contain additional information that may be useful to anyone wanting to do further research. Since many of the topics in the inventory are interrelated there may also be a list of related topics.

This inventory was completed in 2021 and expanded in 2022. It contains the most uptodate information available at the time. However, as new information becomes available the inventory should be updated to reflect any changes.

General resources

Much of the information in this inventory can be found in GranitView, a clearinghouse for geographic information in New Hampshire: https://www.granit.unh.edu/

Other broad sources of data on the state of New Hampshire include

NH Natural Heritage Bureau: https: //www.nh.gov/nhdfl/about-us/natural-heritage-bureau.htm

NH DES One Stop Data: https://www4.des.state.nh.us/onestopdatamapper/onestopmapper.aspx

More localized information can be found in

Lakes Region Conservation Plan 2017 Update FINAL.pdf: https://lrct.org

USVLT_NRI.PDF – 2011 Natural Resource Inventory for Saco river watershed: https://www.usvlt.org/uploads/Documents/USVLT_NRI.PDF

Ossipee Watershed Natural Resource Guide from Green Mountain Conservation: http://www.gmcg.org/resources-2/ossipee-watershed-natural-resource-guide-test2/

Natural Resources Ordinance Book from Green Mountain Conservation: http://www.gmcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/NRP_Matrix_11-5-14.pdf