Green Infrastructure Master

Draft Mapping Sce

M-NCPPC Green Infrastructure Master Pla

Satur
 Today’s Present

• Welcome and Introductions

• Presentation on Green Infrastructur

Mapping Scenarios

• Short Break

• Breakout Groups

• Wrap-up
Desired Outcome of Today’s Meetin

• Participants understand some of the issues in building

green infrastructure network especially balancing com
needs

• Participants get involved in building, reviewing and/or

their own preferred scenarios and implementation op

• Participants understand the plan goals, process, and

general concepts

• Receive feedback from participants on what the green

infrastructure map should include.
 Design Princ

• Conservation Biology

Better Worse

Larger vs. smaller

• Landscape Ecology
Forest Interior Dwelling B
Better Worse

Connections are better

What is Green Infrastruc

A network of waterways, wetlan

woodlands, wildlife habitats, an
other natural areas of Countywi
significance that supports native
species, maintains natural
ecological processes, sustains ai
and water resources, and
contributes to health and qualit
life.
 Existing Forest C
100,266 acres ± 31% of C
 Mapping Crite

• 200-foot minimum corridor width

• 600-foot maximum distance (gap) to

neighboring areas

• 50-acre minimum for isolated forest sta

(with a 10-acre minimum interior forest
 Scenario 1 – Bas

Refines the Forest Cover

to show only areas that meet the size, connectivit

contiguity criteria for

Countywide Significance
 Countywide Signific

Corridor Width
Minimum 200’ wide outside the Urban Ring

Minimum 100’ wide in priority funding areas

outside the Urban Ring

No minimum width in the Urban Ring

Connectivity
Gaps no greater than 600 feet

M-NCPPC
 Countywide Signific
Isolated Forest Stand Size
Any stand with at least 1 acre of interior
forest (Urban Ring)

Stands 25 acres or greater with at least 3

acres of interior forest (in PFA outside the
Urban Ring)

Stands 50 acres or greater with at least 10

acres of interior forest outside the Urban
Ring and PFA

M-NCPPC
 Countywide Signific
Contiguity

Downstream corridors

Open bodies of water (e.g., Potomac and

Patuxent Rivers, Little Seneca Lake)

Designated open space of adjacent jurisdictions

M-NCPPC
 Scenar
103,820 acres , ± 32% of C
 Scena

Scenario 1 + State Green Infrastructure

(Plus)

- Existing Development and

(Minus) Approved Subdivisions
 Building of Scena
Add State Green Infrastructure to Scenario 1

State Green Infrastructure

(modified for development)
Remove green infrastructure from
approved preliminary plans
from Scenario 1
Remove green infrastructure from
platted properties under 4 acres
in size, from Scenario 1

Legend
County Boundary

Platted properties under 4 acres

 Scenari
116,527 acres, 36% of Cou
 Scena

Scenario 2 - Areas that the General Plan

has identified for intense
(Minus)
development

Planned development areas with ability

(Retaining)
to conserve open space
 Building of Scena
Remove green infrastructure
from non-cluster/medium-
density zoned properties
 Sc
112,328 acres, 34 % of C
 Scena

Scenario 2 + Protected lands, identified priority area

(Plus) and environmentally important
areas

NOTE: Scenario 4 is a modification of Scenario 2

 Building of Scena
Protected lands, identified priority areas, and environme
important areas:

Forest Conservation Banks

Parkland
• Stream Valley Park Systems
• Conservation Parks
• Biodiversity Areas in Parks

Legacy Open Space Natural Resources Sites:

• Greenway Connections
• Environmentally Sensitive Natural Resources
• Water Supply Protection Areas

Utility Rights-of-way (including WSSC Lands)

These are the areas added to Scenario 2 to create Scenario 4

Scenario 2
 Add: Protected lands, identified priority
areas, and environmentally important areas

Legend
County Boundary
Forest Banks - Planted
Forest Banks - Forested
Parks - Biodiversity Areas
Parks - Best Natural Areas
Conservation, Stream Valley and Watershed Parkland
Biodiversity Areas Parks
Utility ROW (WSSC Lands)
Power ROW
Greenway Connections
LOS Natural Resources Sites
Water Supply Protection Lands
Resources of Countywide Signifigance wo Development
State Green Infrastructure wo Development
Legend
County Boundary
Forest Banks - Planted
Forest Banks - Forested
Parks - Biodiversity Areas
Parks - Best Natural Areas
Conservation, Stream Valley and Watershed Parkland
Biodiversity Areas Parks
Utility ROW (WSSC Lands)
Power ROW
Greenway Connections
LOS Natural Resources Sites
Water Supply Protection Lands
Scen
Resources of Countywide Signifigance wo Development
123,275 acres, 38% of
State Green Infrastructure wo Development
 Scena

Scenario 3 + Protected lands, identified priori

(Plus) areas, and environmentally
important areas

NOTE: Scenario 5 is a modification of Scenario 3

 Building of Scena
Protected lands, identified priority areas, and environme
important areas:

Forest Conservation Banks

Parkland
• Stream Valley Park Systems
• Conservation Parks
• Biodiversity Areas in Parks

Legacy Open Space Natural Resources Sites:

• Greenway Connections
• Environmentally Sensitive Natural Resources
• Water Supply Protection Areas

Utility Rights-of-way (including WSSC Lands)

These are the areas added to Scenario 3 to create Scenario 5

 Building of Scenario

Scenario 3
 Building of Scena
Add: Protected lands, identified priority
areas, environmentally important areas

Legend
County Boundary
Forest Banks - Planted
Forest Banks - Forested
Parks - Biodiversity Areas
Parks - Best Natural Areas
Conservation, Stream Valley and Watershed Parkland
Biodiversity Areas Parks
Utility ROW (WSSC Lands)
Power ROW
Greenway Connections
LOS Natural Resources Sites
Water Supply Protection Lands
Resources of Countywide Signifigance wo Development
State Green Infrastructure wo Development
Legend
County Boundary
Forest Banks - Planted
Forest Banks - Forested
Parks - Biodiversity Areas
Parks - Best Natural Areas
Conservation, Stream Valley and Watershed Parkland
Biodiversity Areas Parks
Utility ROW (WSSC Lands)
Power ROW
Greenway Connections
LOS Natural Resources Sites
Water Supply Protection Lands
Sce
Resources of Countywide Signifigance wo Development 119,475 acres, 37 %
State Green Infrastructure wo Development
Scenario 1
32%
Scenario 2
36%
Scenario 3
34%
Scenario 4
38%
Scenario 5
37%
 GREEN INFRASTRUCTU
SCENARIO CHARACTERI

Layer County Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4

Area (acres) 324,316 103,820 116,527 112,327 123,275

Percent of County Area (%) 100 32 36 34 38
Forest Cover (acres) 100,266 87,064 80,966 78,307 82,069
Forest Cover (%) 31 87 81 78 82
Area Unregulated (acres) 257,902 56,810 67,254 64,913 72,867
Percent Unregulated 79 55 58 58 59
Excludes areas that the General Plan has
identified for intense development x
Includes protected lands, identified priority
areas, environmentally important resources x
Includes State green infrastructure not already
covered by the County green infrastructure
layer x x x
Includes areas with potential clustering
x
Excludes areas of existing and planned
development x x x x
Avoids the potential for land use conflict in
planned development areas x
 Green Infrastructure Breakout Group Exe

General Rules:

1. Each Breakout Group will receive a set of colored cards with various op
Mapping Green Infrastructure and Implementing the Green Infrastruct

2. The Group will consider each card and determine whether to include it
using a simple majority-based decision process.

3. Blank cards are provided for other options the group may decide to inc
using a simple majority-based decision process.

4. At the end of the exercises, each Group will turn in a set of cards, repre
the results of its discussion.

5. Group discussions should be courteous and respectful of divergent opin

 Exercise 1: Green Infrastructure Scenar

(Green and Blue Cards

Goal:

Select a set of green infrastructure mapping criteria that will result in a countywide netwo
natural areas that balances the following, sometimes competing County needs:

1. Provide a county-scale vision/goal for interconnected natural areas

2. Maximize natural area size and connectivity

3. Allow the County to develop as provided for in the County’s General Plan

4. Encourage and facilitate Smart Growth goals and objectives

• Focusing more development within the Smart Growth Primary Funding Area (PFA
• Avoiding sprawl (e.g. putting denser development where it makes more sense); a
• Conserving/protecting more natural areas where they can maximize overall envi
benefits.
 Exercise 2: Implementation of the Green Infrastru

(Red and Beige Cards)

Goal:

Identify potential mechanisms to encourage and facilitate the implementation of

the Green Infrastructure Plan to

• Maximize the network over time, while

• Balancing the needs of the County for continued development under the
General Plan and Smart Growth principles.