habitat restoration master plan - cob home€¦ · habitat restoration elements into parks and open...
Post on 26-Sep-2020
1 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
1
Habitat Restoration Master PlanOctober 3, 2013
2
Project GoalProduce a science‐based plan that will help the City prioritize restoration and protection actions for the City’s terrestrial, aquatic and riparian habitats.
Pileated Woodpecker - Cemetery Creek
3
Restoration – improving habitat conditions above existing levels in terms of structure and function
“Ecological Lift”
Protection – safeguarding ecosystems and ecosystem components from harm caused by human action
Post Point Lagoon
4
Public Works Planning and implementing discreet habitat
restoration projectsPlanning and Community
Development Inform land use decisions, development review and mitigation decisions
Parks DepartmentPlanning and including habitat restoration
elements into parks and open space projects
Community Information on local
conditions and guidance on trade‐offs with
development impacts
All Departments Transparency and
consistency for habitat restoration, stormwater, decisions; support for grant funding requests
Benefits of the Habitat Restoration Master Plan
City CouncilPredictable budgeting
5
" We are w·orking today· so future generations will benern from .... "
Clean, Safe Drinking Wat~r Mobil tty & Co11r1ectfvity Option>
Healthy Environment
~Protect & improve the hea Ith of I akes, streams & bay
~Protect & restore ecological functions & ha bit at
•Reduce contributions to climate change
•Conserve natural & consumable resources
·~«=• 'VllUf Cl l 1\ IJltJWTll.UWl 1 Cf ULI H; I l;'Ull l llllt::1 U-tll t.t;:il ru::s::..
•Pireserve farmlimd & the al!l'fa.ilrur eool'IOR'ly
Sense of Place
•Support sense of pla;ee rn refghbort-iood~ •EncOUJ :ge development within 'stfl'tfl: lnfrastl'JJctun
• ?teYent and respOl]d ID ernerge[lties
•Pre.v~ntarw:I re~Md tocrlml! •Enwre sa Fe rmra5tr cwre • lrv;r@5eeommunrty readine$-s nd re$1lrence
• l"JO\l!Oe ilCX:~· m .~~uiraite m1ormauori •Recrult, retllln & :;upport quallty emp!C'f'ee=>
Eq uity & Social Jt.1stice
•PTaYide ar;i:;~ to problem~h1ing reso1.m;es. •Suwort S&fe, affordable houslrig •lncr~se 11 ... tng wage emplQymertt • Suflllort ·serviees for lower-irte.ome restderi't$
•"'ltrv; te respect & ppredatron for d~nity
Legacies and Strat·egic Commitments
Adopted by Bel!li ngham City CouncM July 13, 20G9
6
How healthy are the City’s habitats?
7
Meadow/Shrub
Riverine (streams)
Wetland
Forest
8
•Flow variation•Surface water storage•Sediment continuity•Substrate mobility
• Percent of impervious surface
• Frequency of overbank flow
• Percent of floodplain with levees or development
Functions Measures
Measuring riverine functions
9
Function measurements are converted to scores
Baker Creek Sub‐watershed –Existing Riverine Function Scores
Function Score
Surface Water Storage 3
Flow Variation 3
Biodiversity Maintenance 4
Chemical Regulation 4
Thermal Regulation 4
10
Scores are converted to rankings for relative comparisons
Rankings are compared at the sub-watershed scale
Excludes Lake Whatcom Watershed
12
Why sub-watersheds?
Watershed scale
Too Big
Sub‐watershed scale
Just Right
Site/parcel scale
Too Small
13
Different rankings for different sub-watersheds - wetland functions
14
Different rankings for different sub-watersheds – riverine functions
15
Different rankings for different habitat blocks – forest functions
16
Different rankings for different habitat blocks – meadow/shrub functions
17
What should we do to improve the health of degraded areas?
18
• Documented link between the action and a significant positive response in habitat functions
• Response to action is measureable
• Effects of the action on various functions can be clearly delineated
• Commonly applied in the Puget Sound area
• Applicable at wide-ranging scales, (flexibility and scalability)
Characteristics of effective actions
Cemetery Creek
Whatcom Creek
19
Potential Actions• Re-establish wetlands• Enhance riparian vegetation • Install woody debris in streams • Provide incentives to preserve meadow &
forest habitat• Acquire properties that should be protected• Educate community about habitat values• Retrofit stormwater infrastructure• {your suggestion goes here}
20
What about new regulations?• Project is not intended to create new
layers of regulation
21
Define list of actions that would improve functions
Determine effect of each action on
functions
Calculate functional improvement for each action in each
area
Develop initial list of priorities
Obtain public input and develop criteria to assess feasibility
Refine priorities
22
You can’t fix everything…
23
24
Feasibility depends on:• Land use• Comprehensive plan goals• Recreational needs• Other community needs such as parks and
roads• Climate change• Cost (to restore)• Technical capabilities • Local values
25
Stakeholder Engagement and Public Involvement Technical Advisory
Group Meetings with City
departments Public Open houses Targeted
presentations Project website Input on Draft Habitat
Plan
26
Technical Advisory Group
• Kurt Baumgarten, Department of Ecology, Stormwater• Jim Helfield, PhD, WWU Huxley College of the Environment,
Riparian Ecologist • James Luce, City of Bellingham Parks Dept., Arborist• Kim Weil, City of Bellingham Planning Dept., Critical Areas• Leslie Bryson, City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Dept.• Wendy Steffenson, M.Sc., RE Sources for Sustainable Communities• Barry Wenger, Citizen, shorelines• Joe Meche, President, North Cascades Audubon Society• Julie Guy, Cordata Neighborhood, Parks and Recreation Advisory
Board• Many others were also involved closely with the TAG’s work and
include Wendy Harris, citizen; Geoff Middaugh, citizen
27
Advantages of a watershed-based planTime an
d Mon
ey
Low
High
HighLevel of Protection
Site‐by‐Site Approach
REACTIVE
Opportunistic Watershed‐based Approach
PROACTIVE
Strategic
28
Public Works Planning and implementing discreet habitat
restoration projectsPlanning and Community
Development Inform land use decisions, development review and mitigation decisions
Parks DepartmentPlanning and including habitat restoration
elements into parks and open space projects
Community Information on local
conditions and guidance on trade‐offs with
development impacts
All Departments Transparency and
consistency for habitat restoration, stormwater, decisions; support for grant funding requests
Benefits of the Habitat Restoration Master Plan
City CouncilPredictable budgeting
29
This plan is for you…• What do you think are the key
restoration needs and opportunities?• Which actions are most needed to
protect and restore habitats?• How should we balance habitat
restoration goals with other city needs?
30
More information: http://www.cob.org/services/environment/restoration/plan.aspx
Project Manager: Renee LaCroixEcology and Restoration Manager, Public Works Department(360) 778 – 7966 rlacroix@cob.org
31
Consultant Team: Environmental Science Associates
Northwest Ecological Services
Veda Environmental
NW ECOLOGICAL SERVICES
top related