Land Stewardship Zoning Guidelines
The legislation directing the department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to prepare resource management plans (RMPs) also states that these plans shall include guidelines for operation and land stewardship, provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and shall ensure consistency between recreation, resource protection, and sustainable forest management. As part of addressing this legislative requirement, Land Stewardship Zoning Guidelines will be incorporated into the development and implementation of RMPs for all state reservations, parks and forests under the management of the DCR Divisions of Urban Parks and Recreation and State Parks and Recreation.

The purpose of the Zoning Guidelines is to provide a general land stewardship framework for RMPs. The Zoning Guidelines are intended to be flexible and help guide the long-term management of a specific property or facility. They define three types of management zones based generally on the sensitivity and uniqueness of the resources. The zones are simply categorized as 1, 2 and 3, ranging from highest to lowest levels of sensitivity and uniqueness. Significant Feature Overlays, identifying specific designated or recognized resource features (such as Forest Reserves, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, or areas subject to historic preservation restrictions) and containing specific management requirements or recommendations, may be added to supplement these Zones. The overall management framework for a DCR property or facility also includes specific management goals and recommendations developed as part of the RMP, as well as applicable DCR policies and performance standards.