Conservation Maps

Both the New Hampshire Fish & game 2020 Wildlife Action Plan and the 2011 Upper Saco Valley Land Trust natural resource inventory identified areas of Eaton that are the highest value habitat based on multiple factors such as type of habitat and importance for water quality.  Some of this land is currently well protected through conservation easements or town ownership.  Other areas are afforded some protection through zoning ordinances that limit development.  Many properties have some limited protection due to their current use status. The map below shows land ranked by protection priority with overlays showing the type of protection already afforded to that land.  Clicking on any section will provide more detail about the types of protection provided, the ownership of parcels over 10 acres, and aspects of the underlaying habitat.

The strongest types of protection are conservation (shown in shades of green) and wetlands (shown in blues) since they allow no development and only limited use.  The weakest protections are current use (transparent yellow) since it can easily be changed, and ridgeline protection (tan) since it discourages development but still permits it.  In between are the steep slopes (yellow and red) where development is allowed but strictly limited.

During the winter and spring of 2024 a study group was formed to review the Natural Resource Inventory with an eye to determining the highest priority areas for conservation efforts. The map below shows the primary areas the group came up with. The areas in town  most in need of  attention are:

- Wetlands  (blue)

- Aquifers  (light blue)

- Stream and river riparian zones (dark blue)

- Vernal pools (green circles)

- Wildlife corridors (shades of tan and brown)

- Unfragmented land (dark green)

- Locations in Eaton with uncommon land features in that provide important habitats for both common and rare plants and animals species (olive green)

- Areas with a ranking of 3 or higher on the USVLT NRI maps from 2011 (orange)

 Clicking on any area will provide some information about it.  More detailed information can be found in the Water and Biology sections of the Natural Reaource Inventory. Additional layers make it possible to see what protection is currently provided to these priority areas.