Transcript Resource Agency Representation

Initiative to Integrate an
Eco-Logical Approach
to
Infrastructure Development
Air Quality Advisory Committee
July 24, 2008
Natural Resource Agencies


US F&W

NRCS - MO

SWI RC&D/ USDA-NRCS

US EPA (Region 5 & 7)

National Park Service –

Jefferson Memorial

 USACE





Mo & IL DNR
IL EPA
MO Dept Conservation
IL Historic Preserv. Agcy
IL & MO Dept of Ag.
Metro East Parks Dist.
Great Rivers Greenway
Metropolitan Sewer Dist.
And the list is growing!
SAFETEA-LU

Metropolitan LRTPs shall be developed in
consultation with State and local agencies
responsible for:
 Land use management
 Natural resources
 Environmental protection
 Conservation
 Historic preservation

Consultation shall involve comparison of LRTPs with
 State conservation plans or maps; and/or
 Inventories of natural or historic resources.
SAFETEA-LU
 LRTPs shall include discussion of
 Potential environmental mitigation activities
 Potential areas to carry out
 Developed in consultation with Federal, State and Tribal
 Wildlife management
 Land management
 Regulatory
Goals for Initiative
“Ecosystem based approach - a process for the comprehensive
management of land, water, biotic and abiotic resources that
equitably promotes conservation and sustainable use”
 Work cooperatively develop data and tools to evaluate the
cumulative effects of LRTP on natural resources and
conservation plans; and to identify opportunities for innovative
approaches to mitigation
 Improve coordination and communication with resource
management agencies, share best practices, and to help
guide the initiative
 Reduce costs and delays associated with mitigating the
impacts of project for both public agencies and private
developers, MoDOT, IDOT, and Metro
 Improve environmental outcomes for our region
Ecosystem Based Mitigation
“The process of restoring, creating, enhancing, and
preserving habitat and other ecosystem features in
conjunction with or in advance of projects in areas where
environmental needs and the potential environmental
contributions have been determined to be greatest”
 Extend compensatory mitigation options by offering ways to
evaluate alternatives for off-site mitigation and/or out of kind
mitigation
 Develop ways of crediting mitigation that builds upon current
approaches
 Improve habitat connectivity and wildlife conservation while
developing needed infrastructure
First steps…
 Organize and facilitate policy and technical data review
committee to guide process
 Work with MoRAP and resource agencies to develop uniform,
fine resolution landuse/land cover data to begin development
of ecological significance data layer (1-2 meter res.)
 Starting in Jefferson Co. as pilot area to establish
methodology, then will apply to entire 8 county region next
year
 Combine landuse/land cover data with other data on historical
vs current vegetation, endangered species, cultural and
historic assets, conservation plans, etc. and work with
agencies to prioritize areas based on their “significance” to
conservation and preservation in St. Louis region
Area Near San Marcos, TX: Nested Image
Objects using ECognition (15 meter resolution)
Resource Data & Plans
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Watersheds
Prime farming soils
Karst soils/areas
Floodplain
Threatened and endangered
species
Sites listed on the National
Register of Historic Places
Protected parks
Wetlands
Land Cover
303(d) streams/ All Streams
Centennial farms(IL only)
•
•
•
•
Illinois Comprehensive
Wildlife Conservation Plan
and Strategy
– Resource rich areas
– Natural Areas Inventory
– Conservation
Opportunity Areas
Missouri Comprehensive
Wildlife Strategy
– Terrestrial and Aquatic
Conservation
Opportunity Areas
Metro Park District Plans
– Greenways
– MetroEast parks & trails
East St. Louis and Vicinity
Ecosystem Restoration and
Flood Damage Reduction
Project
Other Products of Initiative
 Environmental Atlas
• Will include maps and descriptive narrative
describing natural and cultural resources and
existing conditions
• Will also include a summary of environmental
stress analysis performed during last plan update
 Develop an collection of best practices on planning
and mitigation, including low-impact infrastructure
designs that will be integrated into our Great Streets
Digital Design Guide
Questions?
WWW.EWGATEWAY.ORG
Caroline Twenter
[email protected]