Natural Resource Inventory
The Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) is a living document - it catalogs what we know, both past and present about the Town's natural resources. It also recognizes that these are merely snapshots of an ever-evolving pattern of change. The NRI is intended to be seen as a work in progress to be added to by future observers of the flora and fauna of Ridgefield. The NRI, taken in tandem with the Town's Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) provides a blueprint for charting a more sustainable future for Ridgefield.
The Commission just finished updating the NRI. You can preview it here and go to Books on the Common on Main Street, Ridgefield to purchase a hard copy of this informative report. A companion piece to the NRI is the Ridgefield Natural Resource Inventory StoryMap developed by Pace University staff and students, which presents a shorter and simpler version of the report.
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Some key background reports that are referenced in the NRI are presented here:
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The plan is for the NRI to be updated periodically in the future. If you would like to be involved in future efforts, please email conservation@ridgefieldct.gov and use these checklists Ridgefield Species Checklists so that you can contribute to the NRI. iNaturalist training for citizen scientists is also available to assist in this effort - Click here
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The Commission will shortly present downloadable versions of the full-page maps in the NRI at this location.
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NRI 2012
In 2010 the commission partnered with the Metropolitan Conservation Alliance, a program of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, to create the first-ever comprehensive NRI of the Town of Ridgefield. The Ridgefield NRI was published in April 2012. Copies of the NRI are available for review at the Conservation Commission office. The electronic version of the NRI can be viewed at the following link: The Ridgefield Natural Resource Inventory.