Education & Training Opportunities
At NHACC we offer guidance and training to our conservation commissioners on a variety of issues including conservation funding, developing natural resource inventory, and many other topics. We help educate our members with programs like the on-line Lunch & Learn presentations, Regional Roundtables and our electronic newsletter, NHACC Enews.
Balancing Conservation and Housing Development
Wednesday, May 7 2025
12 noon to 1 pm, Presented on Zoom
Housing is a major issue right now due to a combination of economic, social, and policy-related factors. In addition to a severe shortage of housing in many areas, rising home prices and rent costs, high interest rates, and regulatory restrictions all add to the overall lack of affordable housing. With this era-defining issue, there is concern that housing development conflicts with efforts to preserve natural habitats, open spaces, and environmental protection. However, certain regulatory solutions exist for municipalities to link natural resource protection with housing development. Join Zak Brohinsky and Steve Whitman from Resilience Planning & Design as they discuss (1) the importance of local regulations to drive housing development while preserving critical habitats and open space, (2) the key decision points to understand that can incentivize development types, and (3) case study examples from municipalities in New Hampshire.
Identifying and Protecting Natural Resources during Subdivision Developments
Thursday, May 21, 2025
12 noon to 1 pm, Presented on Zoom
Jeff Littleton, Principal Ecologist, Moosewood Ecological LLC
Your town’s Master Plan, Subdivision and Site Plan Review regulations are important tools that help define a town’s character while providing housing options. Paramount to this process is understanding how to develop lands in a meaningful way that works with the natural landscape and protects critical natural resources to ensure long-term sustainability for biodiversity and ecological resilience.
During this workshop we’ll explore options and ideas to protect significant natural resources when designing conservation or open space subdivision using your town’s Natural Resources Inventory (NRI), Open Space Conservation Plan, and site-specific ecological inventories for data-driven planning. Join Jeff Littleton, principal ecologist of Moosewood Ecological, for a discussion on options for conservation planning and land stewardship while providing housing opportunities to meet New Hampshire’s needs.
REGISTER HERE
Handbooks and Guidance Documents
We publish the Handbook for New Hampshire’s Municipal Conservation Commissions, and the NH Municipal Conservation Fund Guidebook. We keep our members up-to-date with monthly E-newsletter with a current list of training opportunities. We provide wetlands guidance documents and sample templates for policies and procedures. Contact the NHACC office if you are looking for examples from other conservation commissions.