NEW GRANTS PROGRAM. Today I will describe what green infrastructure planning entails, how the model works and the importance of the work to planners!

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2 NEW GRANTS PROGRAM The South Carolina Forestry Commission received funds from the USDA Forest Service s Southern Region to build a green infrastructure landscape scale model and to fund several implementation projects. The nonprofit firm the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC) was hired to build the model and test it in Berkeley County SC. There is also a planning guide which provides the steps for creating a plan. They also provided the illustrations used in this slide show. Today I will describe what green infrastructure planning entails, how the model works and the importance of the work to planners!

3 NEW PLANNING GUIDE The planning guide we funded provides the steps for creating a plan. It also has the case study presented today in more detail. The Appendix shows how to build a computer model in GIS to create a green infrastructure network. Anyone can use this guide to build their own model and maps! The GIC wrote the guide under out grant. It can be accessed at:

4 SC Grants Projects Awarded Anderson County Darlington County Jasper County Santee-Lynches COG Town of Summerville East Cooper Land Trust (including Town of McClellanville, Town of Awendaw, Town of Mt. Pleasant, City of Isle of Palms, Town of Sullivan s Island, as well as unincorporated sections of Charleston County)

5 OUR FORESTS NEED PROTECTION The state s forested watersheds fulfill a critical resource role as the primary supplier of clean public water. In addition to beautiful landscapes, forests provide clean water and air, wildlife habitat, recreation, carbon storage, and soil protection. South Carolina s forested watersheds are well managed as documented by a 93.4% compliance rating with state water quality guidelines.

6 OUR FORESTS NEED PROTECTION Lands suited for forestry should be considered in land planning. Forests currently occupy 67 percent or 13.1 million acres of the land area in South Carolina. From SC had the 9th fastest rate of land conversion from ag and forest to urban development.

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8 WE CAN THINK OF OUR FORESTS AND OTHER RESOURCES AS NATURAL ASSETS Includes all landscape elements that support our existence.

9 NATURAL ASSETS ALSO SUPPORT CULTURAL ASSETS

10 OUR NATURAL ASSETS ARE OUR Green Infrastructure! Benefits are Conserving working lands such as farms and forests, that contribute to the economy. Protecting and preserving water quality and supply. Providing cost-effective stormwater management and hazard mitigation. Preserving biodiversity and wildlife habitat. Improving public health, quality of life and recreation networks.

11 OUR NATURAL ASSETS How can we keep the land connected? We can keep land connected with development but only if we plan at a larger scale.

12 CALCULATING INTERIOR FOREST HABITAT Is it a habitat core? Take a distance of 2-3 canopy heights (h) from the edge and multiply times 3. So if your average tree was 100 feet tall, then 100 x 3 = 300 feet. Subtract the edge zone (300 feet) from total area to get remaining interior habitat. Is it enough to be a core? If smaller, it may still be a key patch or site. Interior = Total Area 3(h) Ideal interior 100 acres

13 CALCULATING INTERIOR FOREST HABITAT Division = less habitat Dividing a large core into two smaller cores = less interior habitat and more edge Ideal interior 100 acres

14 EDGE More Edge = More Impacts!

15 CONNECTIONS Species can hop from across patches sometimes

16 CORE LOSS When cores are lost some species may decline

17 CONNECTED LANDSCAPE Cores Need to be Connected by Corridors

18 CORRIDORS Needed to allow movement and survival The ideal is 100 meters of safe space in the middle and 100 meters of edge. minimum width = 300 meters wide

19 STATE HABITAT MODEL Consultants from GIC built us a model to prioritize This project built a model that can be run at any scale from regions to counties. Urban areas may also need tree canopy estimates.

20 CORE RANKINGS Landscape quality varies the model calculates values using several factors

21 CORE STATISTICS The i tool tells users the results of each core Core Statistics Use the i tool to query the database for any core i tool Area: 3,673 acres Core Depth: 2,174 feet Species Richness: 143 Soil Diversity: 13 Perimeter/Area Ratio: 66.9 Stream Density: 24.7 ft/acre Wetlands: 1,408 acres (38%) Water: 16 acres Topographic Diversity: 7.12 RTE Species Abundance: 1 RTE Species Diversity: 1

22 PLANNING Once we know the location and quality of landscapes we can apply this knowledge to planning! Zoning Tools and Comp Plans Park and open space planning I.d. lands for PDR or TDR programs New ordinance development Species protection Heritage tourism and viewsheds Easements Transportation plans: roads/trails Land management

23 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING Maps can inform the comprehensive plan! Article 3: Local Planning -- The Comprehensive Planning Elements Key Elements related to Green Infrastructure (1) inventory of existing conditions; (3) a natural resources element which considers coastal resources, slope characteristics, prime agricultural and forest land, plant and animal habitats, parks and recreation areas, scenic views and sites, wetlands, and soil types. Where a separate board exists pursuant to this chapter, this element is the responsibility of the existing board; (4) a cultural resources element which considers historic buildings and structures, commercial districts, residential districts, unique, natural, or scenic resources, archaeological, and other cultural resources. (7) a land use element which considers existing and future land use by categories, including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, forestry, mining, public and quasi-public, recreation, parks, open space, and vacant or undeveloped;

24 SIX STEPS We use a six-step process 1) Set Your Goals: What does your community value? 2) Review Data What do we know or need to know, to map identified values? Combine the state modeled data with local data. 3) Map Your Community s Ecological and Cultural Assets Based on the goals established in Step One and data from Step Two. 4) Risk Assessment What assets are most at risk and what could be lost if no action is taken? 5) Rank Your Assets and Determine Opportunities Based on those assets and risks you have identified, which ones should be restored or improved? 6) Implement Opportunities Include natural asset maps in both daily and long-range planning (park planning, comp plans, zoning, tourism and economic development, seeking easements etc)

25 BERKELEY COUNTY Habitat Cores and Corridors All Habitat Cores (i.e. individual rankings not shown)

26 BERKELEY COUNTY Habitat Cores and Corridors Protected Which lands under easement? Not all lands are protected.

27 BERKELEY COUNTY Habitat Cores and Corridors At Risk Some waters are impaired. Some lands have higher risk of wildfires.

28 BERKELEY COUNTY Protecting the Forest Economy Can show both current forestry activity as well as forest potential based on parcel size, amount and type of forests, etc.

29 WHY DO THIS WORK? Many Benefits of Knowing Where Assets Are Located! Forest cover protects surface water sources and aquifer recharge zones and reduces the cost of drinking water treatment. American Water Works Association found a 10% increase in forest cover reduced chemical and treatment costs for drinking water by 20%. (Ernst et al. 2004) Trees = cheaper water treatment

30 WHY DO THIS WORK? Many Benefits of Knowing Where Assets Are Located! Trees provide more attractive areas for development, historic districts, commercial areas opportunities for people to interact with nature. A study by the University of Washington found that people shopped longer and more often in treelined retail areas and spent about 12 percent more money. Trees = more tax revenue even in developed commercial districts!

31 WHY DO THIS WORK? Many Benefits of Knowing Where Assets Are Located! Small companies, especially those that are have well paid and skilled workforce place a strong importance on the green of the local environment. Crompton Love and Moore, 1997 The creative class: artists, media, lawyers, analysts, make up 30 percent of the U.S. workforce and they place a premium on outdoor recreation and access to nature. Florida, 2002 Key message: Natural assets attract better paid jobs and thus a better tax base = $

32 WHY DO THIS WORK? Many Benefits of Knowing Where Assets Are Located! q Access to fitness opportunities. (addresses obesity, nature deficit disorders) q Clean air trees absorb pollutants, VOCs, filter runoff, cool the city. (combat asthma) q Well being and mental health - -people heal faster when they can see or access green. (hospitals need this for patients, reduces absenteeism of workers) q Less crime occurs near trees. (issue especially for downtowns and public housing areas) q Employees will exercise if they can access green where they work and on the way to work. (addresses employee health) Key Message: Treed areas = healthy safer communities!

33 END Frances Waite Coastal Region Urban Forester SC Forestry Commission (843)

34 BLUEWAYS AND GREENWAYS: PARTNERSHIPS AND WEB MAPPING APPLICATIONS American Planning Association: South Carolina Chapter _ Fall 2015 Conference _ October 15, 2015 _ USS Yorktown Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Ashley Buffington The Graduate School at the College of Charleston Dual Degree Program: Master of Environmental Studies/Master of Public Administration

35 OVERVIEW I. Partnerships i. Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Blue Trails Project i. Goals ii. Blueways-Greenways: Developing Examples as Models for Other Communities i. Funding ii. iii. iv. Purpose Goals Deliverables II. Developing A Web Mapping Application i. Features Tools ii. iii. Examples iv. Live Preview

36 BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-DORCHESTER BLUE TRAILS PROJECT Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCD COG) Awarded Technical Assistance Grant through the Department of Interior s National Park Service (NPS) Partnered with local stakeholders and municipalities to lead the formation of a BCD Regional Blueways Coalition Project Goals: Develop a master plan to attract users to regional waterways and related outdoor recreation Provide education and outreach Protect the area's natural resources Link coordination/planning efforts on waterways Enhance recreation, economic development, environmental stewardship

37 BLUEWAYS-GREENWAYS: DEVELOPING EXAMPLES AS MODELS FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES A South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium (SCSGC) Funded Member Institution Study Group Project Funding $25, % match from College of Charleston Purpose Facilitate contact between S.C. coastal communities and the SCSGC Assist communities lacking ability to start own blueway/greenway projects Engage with communities through outreach and deliverables Dovetail with BCD Blue Trails Project

38 BLUEWAYS-GREENWAYS: DEVELOPING EXAMPLES AS MODELS FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES Primary Goals Develop an example/template of a successful Blueways-Greenways project Provide materials and guidance that can be used to help communities start their own projects Deliverables Brochures General Blueway and Greenway Information How to Get Started including Funding Sources Application/Website (usable on Phones, tablets, and computers) ESRI s Briefing Book Expectations for Project Outcomes Example Proposals/Projects Applications for Grant Funding

39 DEVELOPING A WEB MAPPING APPLICATION Highlighting Trail Systems in the Tri-County Area Providing a User- Friendly Way to Explore Green Infrastructure

40 WEB MAPPING APPLICATION Features Tools (Widgets) Access Points Green Spaces Protected Land Parks Trails Water Trails Land Trails Conditions Stream Gauges Weather Stations Points of Interest National Register Historic Sites Landmarks Lodging Planned Features Water Access Parks About Legend Layer List Bookmarks Draw Directions Search Print Query Select a Zone Locate Access by Water Body Find Nearest: Access Point of Interest Lodging National Register Historic Site Wind Weather Alerts

41 FEATURES OVERVIEW

42 About Legend TOOLS OVERVIEW Layer List Bookmarks Draw

43 DIRECTIONS From one location to another Example: Garris Landing to Mt. Pleasant KOA Zoom In Zoom Out Home Extent My Location

44 QUERY Locate Access Point by Water Body Zoom In Zoom Out Home Extent My Location

45 QUERY 1. Select a Zone 2. Find Nearest Lodging Zoom In Zoom Out Home Extent My Location

46 LIVE APP PREVIEW

47 Contact QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS Ashley Buffington (803) Thank You