The written report provides an important record to familiarize all town boards with the NRI. Keep in mind that the NRI report can also provide the basis for the narrative included in the natural resources chapter of the master plan. Take a look at several examples of recent municipal NRI documents to get some ideas for writing your report.
The NRI report should include the following:
- Description of the NRI goals
- Descriptive summaries of each of the resources inventoried: Include the data sources used for each natural resource - these may include both GIS data layers and non-GIS studies.
- Documentation of Information Sources: The descriptive summary of each of the resources inventoried can be enhanced by documenting the data sources used. Documentation can include the standards used for the inventoried resources, data tables providing details about the results of a specific inventory study, information displayed on the inventory maps (and the date that the data were generated), acreage of specific resource features, etc. It is also important to include data sources on any maps produced for the inventory. Documentation eases the task of future updates and provides a stronger basis for resource protection and planning efforts.
- Develop specific conservation recommendations requiring action by the community by Analyzing the NRI Information.
