Coastal Conservation Lands Update (2005)

Abstract

The Complex Systems Research Center (CSRC) at the University of New Hampshire has developed, implemented, and coordinated the GRANIT GIS clearinghouse since its inception in the mid 1980’s. One of the primary data sets maintained by CSRC and served through the clearinghouse is the Conservation and Protected Lands Data Layer. This data set contains a digital record of parcels of land of two or more acres that are mostly undeveloped and are protected from future development. Smaller parcels that adjoin previously mapped parcels or represent unique features, such as a bog or state-owned boat ramp, may also be included in this data layer. Through the GRANIT Conservation Lands Data Layer Update project, data on current protected lands were collected, reviewed, and processed for 48 communities in seacoast NH, including the 42 towns within the NH Estuaries Project area. GRANIT staff contacted each community’s conservation commission, as well as all quasi-public entities and land trusts active in the region, to solicit updates and additions to the data set. Concurrently, staff from the NH Office of Energy and Planning contacted the state and federal agencies that manage property in the seacoast to request comparable information. Through this collaborative process, 166 new tracts covering over 6,000 acres were added to the database. In addition, information on 122 existing tracts was modified to incorporate the reported corrections