Town of Washington Embarks on a Natural Resources Inventory

The Town of Washington was selected by the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program to receive technical assistance in creating natural resource inventories (“NRI”) for our town. As described by the DEC, “An NRI compiles maps and descriptions of natural areas and provides a reference in planning in a community.” 

 A link to the press release can be found here https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/127011.html

Washington has embarked on this project in partnership with the Village of Millbrook and the Town of Clinton. Together these municipalities were selected following a competitive application process. To prepare this joint NRI, the Town of Washington NRI Task Force Committee, along with Task Forces for the Village of Millbrook and Town of Clinton, is working with the Estuary Program’s Conservation and Land Use Team and the program’s partner, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County.   

NRIs include information about water resources, soil, habitat, topography, wildlife, farmland, topography, and geology.  By identifying the locations of these important resources, the Town of Washington is better informed when creating plans and policies around resource protection and land use.

The Town of Washington’s Task Force Committee is comprised of (in alphabetical order) Town councilwoman Leslie Heaney, Planning Board member Richard Philips and Conservation Advisory Committee Chair Margaret Schneible.

The Task Force plans to engage the residents of Washington later this Spring/early summer to solicit resident feedback on this important work. 

If you have any questions, thoughts, or comments for the Task Force, you may contact them by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More information to follow