Name: Hudson to Housatonic (H2H) High Conservation Areas
Display Field: Value
Type: Raster Layer
Geometry Type: null
Description: The Strategic Conservation Map identifies land with high conservation value and can help prioritize opportunities for collaborative conservation in the H2H region. In order to model conservation priorities, H2H members identified 14 criteria that measure the land’s ecological value, contribution to healthy water supply, and potential for recreation. Each of these 14 criteria was mapped, and land was scored based on the number of criteria that overlapped in any given location. The land that scored highest in this co-occurrence model was designated as “high conservation value.” H2H partners then used these high-value areas to define focus areas for collaborative conservation over the next several years.Although this map shows many regionally important areas, it is not intended as a comprehensive representation of H2H values. In particular, this exurban/suburban model does not cover the more densely developed urban areas within the H2H landscape. H2H chose to model its exurban, suburban, and urban areas separately in order to acknowledge different priorities in different landscapes. (Note that in the context of these maps, the terms “exurban” and “rural” are used interchangeably to indicate parts of our region that are less densely populated). We did not want our urban land to score low in a regional model, when we know that it can provide unique and important value, so the decision was made to only score land against other land in a similar landscape. The current draft of the strategic conservation map only models exurban and suburban landscapes. While a first draft of the urban map was completed in December 2017, it was decided that the urban mapping process would require additional community engagement and new partners, and was therefore postponed. Completing a prioritization process in urban areas is a logical next step for H2H partners. The Strategic Conservation Map was developed between summer 2017 and summer 2018. It was a collaborative process, with H2H partners providing guidance and feedback to the GIS team at numerous meetings over the course of the year. The partnership adopted the current version of the map and focus areas on June 18, 2018 at an All Partner Meeting. Please contact Highstead or Westchester Land Trust for more information on this map or on H2H.