Town Plan
Section 15: Natural and Cultural Environment
Major
natural resources in the town include its agricultural and forest lands, mineral
resources, wildlife habitat, lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, and recreation
areas. Many of these resources contribute directly to local economic
activities, such as farming and forestry, by providing critical business
‘inputs’. Others contribute
indirectly, for example by attracting travelers and tourists who purchase goods
and services in the town. By making
Wallingford a desirable place to live, these resources also contribute to the
town’s high quality of life. Significant
natural areas, as identified by the State, are shown on Map 4A.
Lands
within Wallingford with high potential for agricultural production are focused
in the Vermont Valley, as well as in selected areas in the northeast corner of
town. Meanwhile, lands with high potential for forestry production
follow the same general pattern as agricultural soils but are more widespread.
Mineral
resources, including sand and gravel, are scattered in parts of the Vermont
Valley. They are also found in
distinct veins or arms in the vicinity of Route 140, and the western slope of
the Green Mountains. Wildlife potential is high throughout much of Wallingford, as
is ‘unimproved’ recreation potential, although each tends to be greatest in
areas dominated by water or forests.
Important
surface water resources (lakes, ponds, rivers and streams) include Otter Creek,
Elfin Lake, Roaring Brook, Homer Stone Brook and Wallingford Pond.
Groundwater resources include the aquifers for the town’s water
systems, and their ‘source
protection areas’. (Map 4B)
Major
cultural resources include the large number of historic buildings, the historic
village centers, institutions such as churches, the Historical Society, and the
Grange, as well as the town’s overall landscape.
Wallingford is home to 176 buildings on the National Register of Historic
Places and 50 buildings on the State Register of Historic Places.
Furthermore, the town was the first in the state with an officially
recognized Rural Resource Area extending on both sides of Route 7 generally from
the Twin Bridges to South Wallingford. Like
natural resources, cultural resources also contribute positively to the local
economy and the quality of life.