CASE STUDIES
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Planning and Environment Linkages: Case Studies
Slide 1
Planning and Environment Linkages: Case Studies
Michael Culp and John Humeston
FHWA
November 2, 2006
Slide 2
Presentation Topics
- Range of method, complexity
- Case studies we know of:
- Pennsylvania Planning Partners
- Sacramento Area Council of Governments
- Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
- Houston-Galveston Area Council
- Case studies you know of! (audience participation solicited)
Slide 3
Pennsylvania Planning Partners: Environmental Checklist
- Application: project and regional transportation planning
- Products developed: tools to help with planning processes (MS
Word format)
- Checklist of natural, cultural considerations to factor into planning process
- Supplemental ‘pop-up’ list of data sources
Slide 4
Planning Partners Checklist
- Checklist of resources, topics to be considered during project planning
- To identify
- resources that could affect project planning, environmental documentation
- other efforts in the region to promote coordination
- Precursor to the formal scoping process under
NEPA; information to serve as the basis for scoping document
Slide 5
Checklist Details
- Guides planners to note if a resource is present, and whether or not there might be an effect on it
- Sampling of considerations:
- Aquatic: surface waters, public water supplies, wetlands, floodplains
- Land: agricultural resources, geotechnical concerns, wilderness areas, conservation areas
- Section 4(f): historic resources, public parks
- Socioeconomic: environmental justice populations, cemeteries
- Coordination and Public Involvement: community characteristics, existing and planned development
Slide 6
This slide shows an example of the Planning Partners Checklist. It contains a table with four main columns: Resource, Presence, Potential Impacts, and Remarks Attached. The last three columns are broken down into two columns of Yes and No, under which there are boxes so the user can place a check mark for that resource item. Categories under the Resource column include:
- Agricultural resources
- Active Farms
- Agricultural Protection
- Geotechnical concerns
- Wilderness, Natural, and Wild Areas
-
CERCLA/Superfund Site
- Utility/Rail/Pipe Lines
- Other Initiatives
- Conservation Easements
- Stream Restoration
- Wetland Creation/Enhancements
- Cultural Preservation/Heritage Efforts
- Economic Growth Investments
- Other Investments
Slide 7
‘Pop-Up’ Data Source List
- Provides information about where to obtain data for each consideration on Checklist
Slide 8
Sacramento Area Council of Governments:
RTP
Coordination
- Application: regional transportation planning
- Products developed:
- ‘Blueprint’ to coordinate regional land use growth plans and transportation plans
- ‘Greenprint’ to coordinate conservation efforts (concept under discussion)
- Program-level environmental analysis of RTP (as required by CA law), called MTP 2035, including mitigation opportunities
- Purpose and Need for projects within MTP 2035
Slide 9
Sacramento Region Blueprint
- Used public process to developed map of regionally preferred land use
- Results expected to drive MTP 2035 process
- Will consider results of "Greenprint"
Slide 10
Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission:
LRTP
Analysis
- Application: regional transportation planning
- Product developed: evaluation and comparison of alternative transportation system plans
Slide 11
SEWRPC
Comparison Details
- Among system plan alternatives, evaluation compared acreage needed by planned projects that would affect:
- Residential and commercial dislocations
- Historic buildings and sites
- Park lands
- Environmental Corridors
- Other sensitive lands: wetlands, natural areas, geological areas, archeological areas, Department of Natural Resources Legacy Locations, land trusts, prime agricultural lands
Slide 12
Example of
GIS
output
This slide depicts a map of the Regional Land Use Plan for the Southeastern Wisconsin Region to 2035.
Slide 13
Houston-Galveston Area Council: Environmental Considerations
- Application: long-range transportation planning
- Products developed:
- Environmental Advisory Committee
- Environmental maps created by GIS-ST screening, for identification of natural areas for conservation
- Mitigation recommendations
Slide 14
Environmental Mapping
- Uses
TxDOT’s
GIS-ST model, developed with
EPA, other agencies
- Environmental data on: wetlands, habitat, endangered or threatened species, managed lands, floodplains
- Flags regionally significant projects that intersect a GIS-ST grid, 1 mile sq.
- Data will be incorporated into corridor level analyses for the 2040 RTP
Slide 15
This slide depicts two maps of Undeveloped Environmental Resources in the Houston-Galveston area. The map on the left shows 2005, and the map on the right shows a 2035 forecast.
Slide 16
Mitigation Activities
- Analysis uses mapping to illustrate which projects might require NEPA mitigation activities and/or are recommended for realignment
- Provides opportunity to examine cumulative environmental impacts collectively within region
- Maps will be supplied to assist sponsors in determining whether their projects may be affected
Slide 17
Other Relevant Practices?
- Audience participation requested!
- Please volunteer relevant practice — can be oriented to
- Data and analysis tools
- Inter-agency coordination efforts
- Planning processes conducted with environmental considerations
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