LETTER: Conservation Commission invites property owners to participate in natural resources project

September 18, 2026

To the Community:

The Waterbury Conservation Commission invites interested landowners to take part in Phase II of the Waterbury Natural Resources Inventory.

Phase I, completed earlier this year by Arrowwood Environmental, used remote mapping to identify land cover types and important natural features throughout Waterbury. Phase II will bring that work into the field, with focused investigations conducted on private properties only with landowner permission.

The Natural Resources Inventory is an important community effort to better understand our forests, waterways, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and other natural resources. It will also inform the upcoming Waterbury Town Plan.

Arrowwood would be notified about landowners interested in participating. There is no cost to participate. Most site visits would be done before winter, but some may be scheduled during the winter. Arrowwood staff note that they may not visit every site where they have permission. Landowners do not need to do anything related to the visit. Arrowwood staff would just walk the property to gather information and leave nothing behind. 

Following the visits, Arrowwood will analyze the data and prepare both a written report and a map based on their findings. The report and map will be posted on the town website. The report will not mention specific landowners or parcels. 

Towns across Vermont have completed similar inventories to guide conservation and planning. To see what the finished project can look like, see the Underhill Natural Resource Inventory report and interactive map. 

If you are interested in learning about the ecological past and present of your land and would like to know more about the inventory, please contact the Waterbury Conservation Commission by email at waterburyccvt@gmail.com.

Amy Marshall

Waterbury

Amy Marshall is chair of the Waterbury Conservation Commission