HomeMy WebLinkAboutre native vegetation_201401211454510728ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NONVOTING TAXPAYERS
TOWN & COUNTY BUILDING
NANTUCKET MA 02554
September 1, 2012
Board of Selectmen
Town & County Building
Nantucket MA 02554
The Advisory Committee of Nonvoting Taxpayers, representing property owners that contribute a
large majority of the property taxes collected by the Town, is sensitive to the maintenance and
protection of Nantucket's special character.
One element of that is Nantucket's native vegetation. Defining "native" in Nantucket's case is
difficult. Recognizing that human activity has made large changes in that vegetation over the
centuries and that Native American land clearing and settler sheep raising led to Nantucket
moors that looked very different from the scrub oak-dominated areas of today, it remains true in
our view that Nantucket's mix of plant species and habitats as it has evolved is a unique feature
of the island, integral to its beauty, and one that complements gardening and horticultural efforts
in Town and Sconset village, and around dwellings in less densely-settled areas.
Protecting that mix raises complex issues. Property owners understandably are wary of further
restrictions on their freedom to do as they wish on their own land--although Nantucket has
chosen to abridge that freedom significantly by the HDC with respect to building exteriors, by
Town setback and ground coverage rules, and by Nantucket's special strengthening of
conservation provisions to protect wetlands and areas bordering them. Other voluntary and
negotiated approaches have been useful, with the NCF and Land Bank (for land acquisition) and
Land Council (for tax-benefited conservation restrictions) making very important contributions.
Nevertheless, thoughtful stewardship of privately-held lands would benefit both individual
properties and the island as a whole. With no current Town agencies having a regulatory
responsibility for this broader issue, we suggest instead that the BOS task the Conservation
Commission to examine the extent to which "native" vegetation remains in relatively undisturbed
states in LUG-3 3-acre zoning districts and on property not currently under conservation
restrictions. (We assume that the Commission would want to consult closely with the NCF, the
Land Council, and the U Mass Field Station.) And estimates of total acreage should not be the
only focus. A particularly useful effort would be to consider whether the preservation of native
vegetation, interspersed with dwellings and gardens, has special benefits for the viability and
diversity of both plant and animal/avian species.
Such a study would create a solid basis for Town discussion and action, including both regulatory
and voluntary efforts as appropriate.
Respectfully,
Advisory Committee of Nonvoting Taxpayers
Howard Blitman, Chair