Green Infrastructure Plan Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Green Infrastructure Plan Linking Arkansas Communities 2008-2009

Woolsey Wet Prairie Sanctuary. Photos courtesy City of Fayetteville, 2008

Topics

 Summary of the Project  What is Green Infrastructure?  Reasons to develop this Plan  Existing Green Infrastructure

Elements in our region

 What’s next?

Sublett Creek draining Lake Lucille through The 14 acre Brooks-Hummel property recently acquired by City of Fayetteville with the help

• f Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association

for park land with nature trails. Photo credit Duane Woltjen, March 2008

Project Summary: Funding

1 of 4 Pilot Study Grants awarded by USDA Forest Service to the Arkansas Forestry Commission’s Urban Forestry Program as a $25,000 matching grant to Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association in partnership with Beaver Water District

Project Summary: Objective

 USDA Forest Service wants to:

 Convene partners to identify and conserve Open Space  Help private landowners conserve Open Space  Help communities expand wisely to connect with Open Space  Participate in community growth planning to reduce ecological

impacts and fire risk

 In our case by supporting the development of a

regional strategic conservation plan using the Green Infrastructure approach

Example Green Infrastructure Plan from: Maryland’s Green Infrastructure Assessment

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/gi/gi.html

Project Summary: Study Area

172 mi2 (445 km2) area encompassing City Limits and Planning Areas of Farmington, Greenland, Johnson, & Fayetteville and the Ozark National Forest, Wedington Wildlife Management Unit with adjacent unincorporated areas of Washington County.

Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Barbara Elaine Boland, August 2008

What is Green Infrastructure?

A strategic conservation planning approach

Long-term Highly collaborative Science supported decision making

Green Infrastructure Planning focuses on the interaction of lands to be developed and conserved and optimizes land use to meet the needs of both people and nature, through consideration of economic, ecological, and cultural factors as guidelines for growth.

What is Green Infrastructure?

“Infrastructure: the substructure or underlying foundation…on which the continuance and growth of a community or state depends.” Webster’s New World Dictionary Like roads, Green Infrastructure elements are not just amenities, they are necessities.

Potential Elements that may constitute our Green Infrastructure Network Existing parks and trails Proposed parks and trails Public and private conserved areas Working lands with environmental value Wetlands and Prairies Riparian zones Historical sites Sensitive Karst recharge areas Highly rated sites from the Urban Forest Conservation Assessment for Fayetteville

Diagram credited to Conservation Resource Alliance, Michigan, in Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities, 2006.

What is Green Infrastructure?

 Hallmarks of the approach:

 Ensures that both green space and development are placed

where most needed and appropriate

 Enables conservation and development to be planned in

harmony, not in opposition to each other

 Enables a region’s communities to create a vision that is

greater than the sum of its parts

 Identifies vital ecological areas and linkages prior to

development in suburban and rural landscapes

 Identifies opportunities for the restoration and enhancement

• f naturally functioning systems in already developed areas

From: “Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century,” by Mark Benedict and Ed McMahon.

Compelling Reasons to Plan for Retention of Green Infrastructure

 General Economic, Social, and Environmental Benefits  Closer to Home:

 Land Use Land Cover changes  Loss of crop land and pasturage  Changes in the forests  Water issues  Growth projections

 Existing Green Infrastructure Elements

General Economic Benefits

Increase land values

Hiking & biking top amenities for home buyers Park proximity increases home values 15-20%

Attract businesses & increase tax base

Proctor & Gamble, CaseStack, Bio-Based Technologies

Support leisure & tourism industries

by maintaining water quality of local lakes, rivers & streams for boating, swimming, fishing, skiing, & camping

Streamline permitting processes for Development

thus saving time and money

General Social Benefits

State of AR recommends the creation of walking & biking trails for reduction of obesity

 Provides healthy activity options and improves

quality of life within communities

Walking, hiking, biking, family outings Free-ranging childhood exploration Physical activity, stress reduction, spiritual renewal Reduce obesity, improve mental & physical health

 Preserves cultural uniqueness

General Environmental Benefits

Comprehensive mapping will identify issues and assist with coordination of environmental projects

Water quality and abundance

 Sensitive Karst groundwater recharge areas  Stormwater runoff  Example: Increasing forest cover from 27% to 40%

Fayetteville estimated to increase environmental benefit from $92 million to $135 million in stormwater containment (American Forests, 2002)

Loss of open lands & crop and pasture lands

 In US 6,000 acres of open space are lost DAILY

Fragmented habitats

 Healthy habitats require sufficient area and corridors

that join them

 Recent Announcement: Arkansas Game & Fish,

Region 10, new Wildlife Management Area in NW Arkansas formed in part to deal with habitat loss due to sprawl

Agriculture/Grassland Urban/Commercial Forest/Woodland Water Barren 1992 2004 2006

Closer to Home: Land Use Land Cover Change

1992 – 2004 – 2006

Data source: GeoStor: 1992 National Land Cover Dataset, 2004 Land Use Land Cover, 2006 Land Use Land Cover

Closer to Home: Change in Urban Coverage

1992 2004 2006 6.9% of area 11.4% of area 15.4% of area 1992-2004 4.5%/12 yrs = .4%/yr 2004-2006 4.0%/2 yrs = 2%/yr

Closer to Home: Loss of cropland & pasturage

In Washington County

1997 2002 2007

Data Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Census, 2002. 2007 figures expected before year end.

1992

178,375 178,375 acr acres es in in cr crops

• ps and pas

and pastur ture 4.3% 4.3% los loss = = -7,752 acr 7,752 acres es 182,578 182,578 acr acres es in in cr crops

• ps and pas

and pastur ture 2.3% 2.3% los loss = = -4,203 acr 4,203 acres es 170,623 170,623 acr acres es in in cr crops

• ps and pas

and pastur ture Projected

• jected 8%

8% los loss =-13,650 acr 13,650 acres es Projected

• jected 156,973 acr

156,973 acres es in in cr crops

• ps and pas

and pastur ture

Closer to Home: Changes in Tree Coverage

1985 – 2000 In Fayetteville 18.3% decline in Heavy Canopy (2,525 to 2,130 acres = -395 acres) An indicator of ecological change resulting from urban development 40% increase in Moderate Canopy (240 to 336 acres = 96 acres) 3% increase in Low Canopy (24,550 to 25,207 acres = 657 acres)

Data Source: Urban Ecosystem Analysis Benton & Washington Counties, Arkansas: Calculating the Value of Nature, American Forest, Inc., September, 2002

Closer to Home: Tree Coverage Decline trends

Data Source: Urban Ecosystem Analysis Benton & Washington Counties, Arkansas: Calculating the Value of Nature, American Forest, Inc., September, 2002

Closer to Home: Tree Coverage Benefits

Data Source: Urban Ecosystem Analysis Benton & Washington Counties, Arkansas: Calculating the Value of Nature, American Forest, Inc., September, 2002

Preliminary Hydrologic Map

Washington Co. Benton Co. Illinois River watershed Beaver Lake Watershed

Map Elements

Rivers & Streams Impaired Streams Drainage Ditches Dams (>25ft high) Watershed boundary Study Area Boundary

Closer to Home: Water Issues

Closer to Home: Water Issues

Nutrient Surplus Areas in NW Arkansas

Beaver Lake Watershed Illinois River Watershed

M i s s o u r i Washington County

Cities of Greenland, Farmington, Johnson, and Fayetteville

Beaver Lake

Upper Arkansas River Watershed

Closer to Home:

Growth Predictions

Washington County Population Statistics

Census 2000 157,715 Estimate 2007 194,292 Projected 2015 221,548

Some of the available Data

Map Elements

Existing Trails Proposed Trails Parks Heritage Trails Pig-Trail Scenic Byway Major Roads Study Area Boundary Cemeteries Points of Interest

I-540 Hwy 71 Hwy 71 Hwy 265 Hwy 265 Hwy 45 Hwy 16 Pig Trail I-540 Hwy 62 Hwy 16

Ozark National Forest Wedington Wildlife Management Unit

Fayetteville Johnson Farmington Greenland

Preliminary Map – Green Infrastructure Network (Public Elements)

This planning method can provide a strategic, science-based, well-accepted planning tool for coordinating both conservation of natural resources and encouragement of appropriate growth.

The timing is perfect to prepare for the next wave of growth in NW Arkansas

Summary

Design Team

Public Meeting Greenland Public Meeting Johnson Public Meeting Fayetteville Public Meeting Farmington Public Meeting Fayetteville Public Meeting Fayetteville Public Meeting Fayetteville

Next Steps