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Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Green Infrastructure Applications in the U.S.
Kris Hoellen, The Conservation Fund
EC Conference on Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
The Conservation Fund Partners in Land & Water Conservation
Mission & Program Areas“The Conservation Fund forges partnerships to
conserve America’s legacy of land and water resources.”
“Through land acquisition, sustainable programs, and leadership training, the Fund and its partners demonstrate sustainable conservation solutions emphasizing the integration of economic and environmental goals.”
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
The Challenge of Growing Communities
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
The Challenge of Growing CommunitiesWhat’s needed? Tools to be more strategic!
Where to permit development?
Where to construct roads & utilities?
Which lands to conserve?
A framework to integrate & inform!
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Green Infrastructure – What Is It?“Strategically planned and managed networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spacesthat conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated benefits to human populations”
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Hubs – anchor the system Links – tie the system togetherSites – smaller areas, may not be attached
Green Infrastructure Networks
Lands - public, private & non-profit Scales - statewide, regional & community Landscapes -urban, suburban, rural & wild
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities7
Network Design Tools: Hub/Core/Corridor Delineation
Core Areas:
•
Contain fully functional natural ecosystems
•
Provide high-quality habitat for native plants and animals
Hubs:
•
Slightly fragmented aggregations of core areas, plus contiguous natural cover
Corridors:
•
Link core areas together
•
Allow animal movement and seed and pollen transfer between core areas
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Green Infrastructure Network
Lands that Provide Associated Benefits for
Human Populations
Lands that Support Natural Ecosystem
Values and Functions
Green Infrastructure – What Is It?
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Green Infrastructure Approach
Natural resource, land planning and built infrastructure professionals
A science-based process that brings together:
Elected and appointed officials The interested public
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Both Require:
Relating Green to GrayGreen Infrastructure and Gray Infrastructure
Ideally Are:
Planned simultaneouslybefore development
Given equal priorityin the planning process
Planned as complementary systems
Given equal attentionin the funding process
Management to maintain services & maximize benefits
Strategic planningto ensure optimal / functional systems
Financing for design and maintenance
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
What Green Infrastructure is Not!
A program
A short-term solution
An isolated effort
No growth or anti-development
“Green” engineered structures
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Why Plan & Protect Green Infrastructure?
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Providing Ecosystem Services
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Supporting Working Lands / Tourism
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
“Selling” Homes and Communities
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Enhancing Quality of Life
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Context matters!
From: Conservation in Practice, Summer 2002
Infrastructure Principles
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Connect network components to function as a whole!
Infrastructure Principles
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
A strategically planned and managed network of natural lands, working landscapes, and other open spaces that conserves ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations
Scales of Green Infrastructure
Fairbanks, AKAnchorage, AK
Salt Lake City, UTFayetteville, AR
Minneapolis, MNHouston, TX
Numerous Counties
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Recent Examples
• Nashville needs to be a city for families." Karl Dean Inaugural Address September 21, 2007
• “Green space and open space are a quality of life issue, an environmental issue and an economic issue,” Karl Dean, January 7, 2010
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Green-Grey ExamplesPlanning the Green and the Grey as complementary systems. A transparent, defensible decision-making tool for selecting
mitigation projects
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
• NiSource– Natural gas transmission
company– Operation and
maintenance activities impact endangered species
• US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)– Enforce Endangered
Species Act– Streamline project review
while enhancing species protection
NiSource Green Infrastructure Project
NiSourcepipeline network
• 14 States• 15,500 linear
miles• 6.4 million
acres
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
• Assess endangered species impacts across the entire pipeline network over the long-term
• Develop Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan• Utilize green infrastructure approach to implement strategic
mitigation
Project Components
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Conservation Plan
• Identifies and protects undeveloped sites to protect from future flooding
• Define development through conservation investments
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
MMSD Results
• 1,881 acres conserved• 58 properties acquired• $13,650,583 spent to date• $5,240,381 in grants awarded• 603,476,052 gallons of water conserved
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
US 301 Waldorf Area Transportation Improvements ProjectMaryland State Highway Administration
Identification and Evaluation of Natural Resource
Environmental Stewardship Opportunities
Partners:
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
8 states
30 species
30 yr permit
~27 million acres of covered lands
Full range of activities
Midwest Region Wind Energy MSHCP
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Keys to Success – Beyond the Data!
• Strategically create a leadership group to guide the GI initiative; involve a broad array of people, programs & organizations;
• Develop a financing strategy for both short & long term;
• Develop an implementation quilt to make the network design a reality – tools, programs, people matched with network elements – no silver bullet;
• Continuously communicate the benefits – craft clear message points for a variety of constituencies.
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Land Planning
Land & WaterConservation
Water Resources
Livable Communities
Health andRecreation
Transportation & Utilities
Working Lands
LandscapeArchitects
Strategic Land Planning & Conservation
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
To Learn More
•Read the Book
•Attend the National Conference – Feb. 23 – 25, 2011
•Visit www.greeninfrastructure.net
Green Infrastructure – Linking Landscapes and Communities
Contact
Kris HoellenThe Conservation Fund698 Conservation WayShepherdstown, WV [email protected]
