EMC has been a leader in the field of natural resource inventory and management, and has completed natural resource inventory and management plans on over 350,000 acres in New England. Dr. Van de Poll helped coin the term ‘NRI’ in the 1980’s, wherein his Ph.D. dissertation focused on natural resource inventory methods for public and private landowners in New England. He has taught NRI courses at the graduate and undergraduate level since 1991.

His NRI projects have included contributions to the Conservation Plan for Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, the 15,000-acre Shingle Shanty Preserve in the Adirondacks, Bear Pond Research Natural Area in Canaan, NH, the 415-acre Horatio Colony Preserve in Keene, NH, and the City of Lebanon, NH. EMC has completed comprehensive NRI’s in 82 towns of northern New England.

Natural Resources Include Everything that Sustains all Life on Earth

The fact that we as humans depend upon them for our very survival underscores our need to… identify, map, protect, and steward them for future generations, not just for ourselves but for all organisms.

A natural resource inventory (NRI) generally includes bedrock & surficial geology, soil, water, plants, animals, fungi, and all of the communities and ecosystems that are comprised of these elements.

EMC is experienced in identifying, mapping, assessing, and drafting management plans for the following:

  • Bedrock mapping, till source mapping, bedrock yield potential (calcium & water)
  • Surficial geology mapping and assessment
  • Groundwater mapping and basic chemical analyses
  • Surface water identification, mapping, assessment (quantity & quality)
  • Biological monitoring for water quality
  • Site Specific Soil mapping & potential yield for crops & timber
  • Hydric soil & wetlands mapping (see wetlands page)
  • Forest cover type/plant community mapping
  • Natural Community mapping & conservation planning
  • Wildlife inventory & assessment
    1. Mammal track census, wildlife cam assessment
    2. Small mammal live trapping
    3. Bird censusing (breeding, non-breeding, migratory)
    4. Reptile inventory & assessment
    5. Amphibian inventory & assessment
    6. Pollinator surveys & enhancement recommendations
  • Rare & Endangered Species location, identification, mapping & management
  • Fungi inventory, edibles & toxic identification, consumption, poison treatment

Method for the Inventory and Evaluation
of Freshwater Wetlands in NH:

New Hampshire Method Manual  – was principal wetland scientist author; copy editor

City of Lebanon:  – author, worked with two copy editors

Center Harbor: – author, reviewed and edited by LRPC

Center Harbor: – author

Center Harbor: – author

Effingham:  – principal author; reviewed and edited by Effingham Conservation Commission and NH Fish & Game Department

Grantham: – author, reviewed and commented on by members of the Grantham Conservation Commission

Meredith:  – author, worked with City Planning Director as editor