Our Conservation Plan
“The well-being of communities of plants and animals depends on how intact and undisturbed their habitats are. Top threats to this are land fragmentation (larger roadless habitat blocks divided into smaller ones) and damaging land uses. Protecting against these by connecting and enlarging conservation lands was a principal motivator for Bear-Paw’s founders, and still guides our core mission.”
-Frank Mitchell, founding member
The Bear-Paw region is special. Located in a transitional area between the coast and inland hills and between the northern and more temperate climate zones, it has a unique mix of species that are at the northern or southern edges of their ranges. Within this landscape is a rich natural heritage that includes vast stretches of native forests, wetlands, streams and ponds as well as pockets of rare and unusual plants, animals, and natural communities.
We are currently working to update our conservation plan and maps.
The originally identified Greenways in the Bear-Paw region were based on connecting pre-existing large blocks of protected land (Bear Brook, Pawtuckaway, and Northwood Meadows State Parks, and Blue Hills Foundation properties). The Greenways included one or more of the following features:
• Water (aquifers, surface waters)
• Rare or exemplary species or natural communities
• Farmland
• Part of an area of larger parcels that could conceivably be connected as conservation lands
Permanently protect
Bear-Paw’s focus is on permanent conservation but thoughtful planning of the location, density and design of development can complement land protection efforts. Land use planning can guide economically and environmentally sustainable development in a way that maintains the region’s ecological functions and natural services, as well as its prosperity.
The originally identified Greenways in the Bear-Paw region were based on connecting pre-existing large blocks of protected land (Bear Brook, Pawtuckaway, and Northwood Meadows State Parks, and Blue Hills Foundation properties). The Greenways included one or more of the following features:
• Water (aquifers, surface waters)
• Rare or exemplary species or natural communities
• Farmland
• Part of an area of larger parcels that could conceivably be connected as conservation lands
Permanently protect
- 75% of the large unfragmented forest blocks in the Bear-Paw region.
- 50% of the riparian areas that lie outside large unfragmented forests.
- 50% of the remaining important agricultural soils and farms.
- other important wildlife habitat and natural resource features as resources allow.
Bear-Paw’s focus is on permanent conservation but thoughtful planning of the location, density and design of development can complement land protection efforts. Land use planning can guide economically and environmentally sustainable development in a way that maintains the region’s ecological functions and natural services, as well as its prosperity.