Resource Inventory Policy Statement
Past inventories of Nantucket’s plant and animal populations have documented that the island has the greatest concentration of rare and endangered species of any municipality in Massachusetts. In addition, current scientific knowledge indicates that the preservation of certain rare habitats and the individual species that inhabit them may require active land management in order to ensure their continued existence.
The Nantucket Conservation Foundation is the owner and steward of approximately 30% of Nantucket Island, much of which provides ecologically-significant habitat for rare species. The Foundation’s mission states that one of its principal goals is to “assist in the preservation of Nantucket’s character by permanently conserving, maintaining, and managing natural areas and habitats.”
A survey of the Trustees and staff of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation was conducted in order to further refine and expand upon organizational goals and to set priorities to focus natural resource protection efforts. The results of this survey show that the organization is strongly oriented towards (a) the preservation and maintenance of natural communities and open spaces, (b) the protection of biological diversity, especially if it is threatened, endangered, of special concern or characteristic of the island, and (c) the maintenance of public access, provided that the public’s use has minimal impact on the land and its natural resources. The support for protecting biological diversity is strong for both individual species and natural communities.
Therefore, the Board of Trustees and staff have committed to the task of conducting a comprehensive natural resource inventory and monitoring project that will provide the information needed to develop detailed management plans for the Foundation’s properties. The following flexible priorities have been developed to guide the implementation of this effort:
1. Inventory natural communities and species on Foundation properties in order to document those that are threatened, endangered, of special concern and need protection and management.
2. Compile lists of target species and natural communities for protection and management, focusing on those that are rare on Nantucket.
3. Perform monitoring and research to develop flexible management plans for target species, natural communities, and individual properties, assessing each in terms of biodiversity and passive recreation value.
4. Continue and expand upon efforts to provide opportunities for the public to learn about and enjoy Foundation properties by developing interpretive materials and programs that highlight the organization’s conservation mission and Nantucket’s unique biological diversity.
5. Provide ongoing opportunities for the Trustees and staff to utilize flexible management to evaluate and refine the progress and results of these inventory and monitoring efforts.
Therefore, the Foundation's Board, by its unanimous vote, authorizes its Executive and Land Management Committees and appropriate staff to engage in collaborative efforts with conservation partners and expert consultants (incorporating appropriate and reasonable conditions related to time, scope, and resources) for the purposes of conducting inventory and monitoring work and developing and implementing effective land management plans, thus benefiting the island-wide effort to perpetuate the unique natural resources found on Nantucket.
This word spread upon the record of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Inc. on July 23, 2004 by a unanimous VOTE of its Board of Trustees.
Richard G. Verney, President
July 2004
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