About Sedge and Granite

Sedge and Granite is an independent editorial site on ecological assessment and environmental planning in northern New England, covering New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and northern Massachusetts. It is written for landowners, town conservation commission and planning board volunteers, land trust staff, civil engineers, landscape architects, students and newcomers.

The site is organised into three sections. Ecological Assessment explains what an ecological assessment covers, how wetland delineation is reviewed, how vernal pools are identified and how wildlife habitat is described. Environmental Planning sets out the municipal, state and federal approvals that apply to common projects, including local zoning, state wetland permits and federal permitting. Natural Areas Management describes how conserved land is monitored, managed and maintained over time.

Articles are written in the third person. They draw on public sources, and each article names the sources it uses. The site does not name, recommend or rank consultancies, clients or practitioners. Where a rule, threshold or procedure varies by town, state or agency, the article states that it varies and points to the public source. Where a question is unsettled or case by case, the article states that limit rather than offering a definite answer.

The site is edited by The Sedge and Granite editorial team. It is not a law firm, engineering firm or regulatory agency, and it does not provide advice on individual properties. The aim is a plain description of how ecological review and environmental planning work in northern New England, so that a reader can follow a process, find the relevant public document and ask the right question of the right office.

Questions, corrections and source suggestions can be sent to contact@eannpoole.com.