Trisha White, Director Habitat and Highways Campaign Defenders of Wildlife

Trisha White, DirectorHabitat and Highways CampaignDefenders of Wildlife

1. Have you ever worked with a transportation agency?

2. If so, have you ever received land or funding from a transportation agency?

Expectations and assets

Transportation planning

Transportation mitigation

Transportation enhancements

Assignments

What are your special powers?

What are your responsibilities?

SPECIAL POWERS1.Passion2.Knowledge3.Skills

RESPONSIBILITIES1.Protect2.Enhance3.Support

Villain1.Direct impacts2.Indirect impacts

Sidekick1.Money2.Land

Know thy frenemy!

Transportation agencies want:

to build roads to keep people safe to provide mobility

predictability no delays

good public relations

3 most important things for Friends to know

Transportation planning process

Compensatory mitigation for transportation projects

Transportation Enhancements program

PROCESS

The basic steps in the transportation planning process are:

1.Define the problem, scope, area, issues2.Set goals, objectives and criteria3.Collect data4.Develop alternatives and scenarios5.Model—forecast future travel behavior6.Evaluate alternatives7.Select a preferred plan8.Implement the plan through projects

PRODUCTS

What do planners create?

Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

PRODUCTS

What do planners create?

Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

SAFETEA-LUSection 6001

1. Consultation with resource agencies

2. Comparison with conservation plans, maps

3. Discussion of mitigation activities, areas

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

SAFETEA-LUSection 6001

“The long-range transportation plan shall be developed in consultation with State, tribal, and local agencies responsible for land use management, natural resources, environmental protection, conservation and historic preservation.”

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

SAFETEA-LUSection 6001

“Consultation under clause (i) shall involve comparison of transportation plans to State and tribal conservation plans or maps, if available, and comparison of transportation plans to inventories of natural or historic resources, if available.”

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

SAFETEA-LUSection 6001

“A long-range transportation plan shall include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the plan.”

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Public Lands•USFWS / Refuges•US Forest Service•National Park Service

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

State Wildlife Action Plans

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Habitat Connectivity Plans

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

INTEGRATING CONSERVATION AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1970

Requires that federal agencies study and disclose the environmental impacts of their actions and include the public in decision making

Mitigation: Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments

Clean Water Act 1972

Primary federal law governing water pollution

Prohibits destroying wetlands

Avoid, minimize, mitigate

Compensatory mitigation is required to replace the loss of wetlands…restoration, establishment, enhancement or preservation of wetlands

Endangered Species Act (ESA) 1973

To protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend

“Take” of listed species is prohibited

“Incidental take” may be permitted if the landowner submits a habitat conservation plan including proposed mitigation measures

Where several projects with impacts are anticipated, banking of compensatory mitigation for impacts may be an effective approach

Program for federally funded, community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience

10% setaside

$500 million/year

ELIGIBILITY 1. Must qualify as one of the 12 eligible activities2. Must be transportation related3. Must be accessible to the public4. Can be stand-alone or part of statewide effort5. Application must have government partner

• May not be used for routine maintenance

• May not be used for standard mitigation

APPLICATIONGovernments, communities,

or non-profit organizations can apply

Every state is responsible for developing and administering its own program

Applicant must furnish at least 20%*

Federal agencies may provide the match

Application must demonstrate how the project will be financed

TE is a Federal-aid reimbursement program, not an advanced grant program

12 categories of eligible activities

1. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities 2. Pedestrian and bicycle safety and

educational activities 3. Acquisition of scenic or historic

easements and sites 4. Scenic or historic  highway programs

including tourist and welcome centers 5. Landscaping and scenic beautification 6. Historic preservation 7. Rehabilitation and operation of historic

transportation buildings, structures or facilities

8. Conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails

9. Inventory, control, and removal of outdoor advertising

10.Archaeological planning & research 11.Environmental mitigation of runoff

pollution and provision of wildlife connectivity

12.Establishment of transportation museums

YES YOU CANuse more than one category!

3. Acquisition of scenic or historic easements and sites—Acquisition of scenic lands or easements, vistas and landscapes; purchase of historic properties or buildings in historic districts, including historic battlefields, preservation of farmland.

MHCP Core And Linkage Area Habitat Acquisition $1,880,000Cuyamaca Ranch Phase I Acquisition $1,000,000Rutherford Ranch Acquisition $1,800,000El Moro Elfin Forest Acquisition $500,000 Hollister Peak Viewshed $1,000,000Purisima Farms Conservation Trail Easement $2,000,000Acquisition Of Carpinteria Bluffs $300,000 Buena Vista Viewshed Acquisition $1,000,000Petaluma River Vistas $410,000Dry Creek Flood Plain Scenic Acquisition $750,000Andrew Creek / Table Mountain Scenic Viewshed $244,000 Windy Gap Watchable Wildlife $256,000

3. Acquisition of scenic or historic easements and sites—Acquisition of scenic lands or easements, vistas and landscapes; purchase of historic properties or buildings in historic districts, including historic battlefields, preservation of farmland.

11. Environmental mitigation of runoff pollution and provision of wildlife connectivity— Runoff pollution studies; soil erosion controls; detention and sediment basins; river clean-ups; reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, restore habitat connectivity, provide wildlife passages

Construction of Osprey nesting platforms $16,000Preacher Canyon Wildlife Fencing $613,450Harbor Blvd Wildlife underpass $337,000Clear Creek clean-up $77,000Wildlife collision reduction on US550 $108,090Monte Vista Watchable Wildlife $180,480Sybil Creek wetland restoration $512,936Weems Creek Restoration $170,000I-95 invasive and exotic vegetation removal $297,500Beaver Creek erosion control $83,164US-31 turtle fence $435,200Statewide wildlife passage study $120,000

11. Environmental mitigation of runoff pollution and provision of wildlife connectivity— Runoff pollution studies; soil erosion controls; detention and sediment basins; river clean-ups; reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, restore habitat connectivity, provide wildlife passages

What can I do with TE funds?

• Scenic, historic, farm or habitat acquisition

• Habitat restoration

• Monitoring and data collection

• Research and mapping habitat

• Evaluating roadside vegetation

• Training

• Public outreach and education

MUST BE TRANSPORTATION

RELATED!

DO THE MATH

$8.1 billion authorized for TE since 1998

÷ 11 years= $734 million per year÷ 12 categories

= $61 million per year possible for scenic+ $61 million per year possible for wildlife

= $122 million /year possible for conservation

GET YOUR PIECE OF THE PIE!

Distribution of Federal Funds by TE Activity FY 1992 through FY 2007 (Federal funds in millions)

3 most important things for Friends to know

Transportation planning process

Compensatory mitigation for transportation projects

Transportation Enhancements program

HOMEWORKASSIGNMENTS

1. Check out your state transportation agency’s web sites. Bookmark them.

2. Request copies of your state transportation plans. Read them.

3. Sign up for transportation planning mailing lists and listservs.

4. Get involved in Section 6001 consultations. Provide your plans, data and maps.

5. Check out Enhancements.org. Bookmark it.

6. Find the application and next call for projects.

7. Contact your enhancements coordinator.

Trisha White, DirectorHabitat and Highways CampaignDefenders of Wildlife