Conservation Commission Description (cont'd)

Who We Are   
The seven members and several alternates of the conservation commission are volunteer citizens of Milford. We have a common goal, to educate ourselves and the town's residents to understand and appreciate the natural environment. We inventory, oversee and plan for the protection of the town's natural resources. These resources include the river and streams, the wetlands and wildlife, forests, trails and open space. The commission advises the other town boards, developers and landowners in the protection of the natural treasures in Milford. 

What We Do
Our activities can be generally divided into the following categories: land protection and management, interaction with the Wetlands Bureau, natural resources inventory, advisory capacity to other Town Boards, and education.  

  • The commission was instrumental in establishing five town forests.  It continues to manage these town forests: caring for the continued health of the forest community, building and maintaining public trails, and monitoring property lines.
  • Assist property owners to protect their land for the future with conservation easements. The commission is a nonprofit which accepts gifts of land that support our mission.
  • Review requests for wetland disturbances from property owners and developers, giving our recommendations to the applicant and the state Wetlands Bureau for reducing the impacts.
  • Attend workshops and seminars to gain the tools to better do our job.
  • Sponsor programs and events to educate ourselves, the public, town boards and other local commissions
  • Work with private and state organizations, college students and local residents to improve our skills in habitat management.
  • Wrote our Conservation plan. This document is valuable to us and to the town as a planning tool for the future.