Approval and Background
The Shelburne Natural Resources and Conservation Committee (SNRCC) completed work on Shelburne's first Open Space plan early last year and the Shelburne Selectboard approved the Plan at a meeting held February 14, 2006. 

As public involvement was a key to the creation of such a Plan, numerous meetings were held to gather public input and ideas on open space issues. The Plan, which reflects the outcomes of those meetings, includes sections on the Types and Benefits of Open Space; Existing Open Space Lands; Resource Value Estimation; Cost Projections to assist in budgeting for future acquisitions; Shelburne's Conservation Priorities; and an Action Plan for Conservation. 

The plan also includes sections on Development of the Open Space Fund and a mandate to formalize the process for optimal use of that Fund. 
 
Finally, the Plan lays out a series of additional strategies to encourage and support conservation of Open space such as Landowner Outreach; Neighborhood Initiatives; Promoting Agricultural Use of Open Space Lands; Encouraging Private Conservation Efforts; Updating the Town's Data Resource Mapping; and development of Management Plans for Town Owned Lands.

This new publication includes full-color maps depicting current Open Space Lands, Properties with High Open Space Value, and Properties Conserved with Financial Assistance from the Open Space Fund, and photographs depicting the fruits of that investment. This full color version was created with the graphic assistance of Becky Wang.

Open Space Plan Update
Members of the SNRCC are currently preparing an update to the 2006 Open Space Plan. Completion of the update is anticipated after July 1, 2015.