The Stewardship Incentive Programs Impact On Private Land Management In Vermont

Author : Jennifer Deemer
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (135 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Habitat Evaluation on Private Parcels in Vermont written by Jennifer Deemer and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "While professional site evaluation is a necessary step in any conservation or development process, the availability of an at-home ecological evaluation to be conducted by individual landowners is something that has not yet been considered by professionals. Landowners who have undeveloped or underdeveloped property may be eligible for tax reductions if they participate in conservation easement programs available to them through agencies such as the Vermont Land Trust or the Landowner's Incentive Program. Some of these conservation easements are only available if the land in question is of good ecological value. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review of professional site analysis techniques, with special focus on publicly available assessment forms specific to Vermont, to determine what questions might be adapted to create a Landowner's Ecological Assessment Form (LEAF). In the course of the study it was determined that a checklist approach could be adapted for ease of understanding and scoring. While the resultant form was longer than first anticipated, it was possible to break the form into required, as-needed, and optional sections in order to decrease the length of the assessment for users based On the composition of their holdings. It is possible to use the results from the assessment to make general recommendations to guide a landowner through the process of choosing a conservation easement program; however, once a program is chosen, further assessment by professionals may be necessary. Use of the LEAF form by landowners for pre-screening for conservation easements could help professionals in government agencies enhance or develop a ranking system for field assessments of private property. When used as part of a forest or wildlife management plan, LEAF assessments could help landowners check On the effectiveness of their interventions and highlight areas in heed of improvement. " -- Abstract