This guidebook was developed to assist communities with learning how to carry out a natural resources inventory (NRI). Until an inventory has been conducted, many communities don't have a clear picture of where natural and cultural resources are located, which resources are significant to the community, and why. The compilation of maps, data tables, and descriptions in an NRI contribute to a better understanding and appreciation of the community's resources and provide the foundation for natural resource-based planning. A wide range of planning and conservation applications are discussed along with examples of projects conducted by communities in the Hudson River estuary watershed