Low Budget Planning for Natural Resources and Open Space Conservation in Whitingham, Vermont

This master\u27s project was created for the Town of Whitingham, Vermont for the purpose of guiding town planning strategies with regard to open space and natural resources. It responds to Whitingham\u27s draft town plan created in 2010 with the assistance of the Windham Regional Commission and was originally presented to the town planning Commission in May of 2010. Whitingham is a rural community of 1,300 residents located near the Massachusetts border. Although Whitingham\u27s population has grown slowly over the last twenty years, it has seen a significant increase in subdivision and housing construction, particularly vacation homes. Loss of the town\u27s rural character and changes to its open space and natural resources due to development pressures were described by town residents as one of the most pressing concerns in Whitingham\u27s 2010 draft town plan. This project describes the local and regional setting of Whitingham, Vermont and examines the challenges and opportunities the town must work with in order to create and implement successful long term open space and natural resources planning. In particular, this project was designed to simplify and make palatable what could otherwise seem to be a complex and daunting planning and implementation strategy. It suggests a variety of low-budget and easy to implement options aimed at the long term conservation of the town\u27s rural character, natural resources, and open space resources