Green Green Infrastructure Infrastructure

Network Design Network Design AnalysisAnalysis

Beaufort County, North Beaufort County, North CarolinaCarolina

Leadership ForumLeadership Forum GovernmentGovernment

Local- Beaufort County Land ManagementLocal- Beaufort County Land Management State- NCDENR, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, State- NCDENR, NC Division of Marine Fisheries,

NC Wildlife Resources CommissionNC Wildlife Resources Commission Federal- NRCS, USACE, USGS, Forest Service, Federal- NRCS, USACE, USGS, Forest Service,

EPA, NOAAEPA, NOAA Non-profits- TNC, local land trustsNon-profits- TNC, local land trusts For profit- special interest groups, For profit- special interest groups,

developersdevelopers Academic- universities, scientists, Sea GrantAcademic- universities, scientists, Sea Grant Tribal/IndigenousTribal/Indigenous

ObjectivesObjectives

Develop or identify wetlands Develop or identify wetlands dataset that categorize high dataset that categorize high priority wetlands and determine priority wetlands and determine acres of high priority wetlands in acres of high priority wetlands in Beaufort CountyBeaufort County

ObjectivesObjectives

Work with research scientists to Work with research scientists to determine reasonable buffer determine reasonable buffer zone around high priority zone around high priority wetlands interlinking corridors wetlands interlinking corridors between those wetlandsbetween those wetlands

ObjectivesObjectives

Determine significant Determine significant landowners within buffer zone landowners within buffer zone and establish agreements to and establish agreements to protect those properties or protect those properties or minimize impactminimize impact

ObjectivesObjectives Educate and assist private Educate and assist private

landowners and developers to landowners and developers to protect and/or mitigate impact to protect and/or mitigate impact to adjacent high priority wetlandsadjacent high priority wetlands

ObjectivesObjectives

Assess potential private Assess potential private properties that could beproperties that could be acquired acquired for additional wetlands for additional wetlands protectionprotection

Data Quality AssessmentData Quality Assessment

Reviewed metadataReviewed metadata ProjectionProjection DateDate SourceSource ScaleScale Coverage AreaCoverage Area RelevanceRelevance

Assumptions: The data we have is the Assumptions: The data we have is the best data availablebest data available

Data UsedData Used

NC Counties- NC Counties- NC Center for Geographic NC Center for Geographic Information and AnalysisInformation and Analysis

WetlandRatings- WetlandRatings- NC Division of Coastal NC Division of Coastal ManagementManagement

NC_MajorHydro- NC_MajorHydro- NC Center for Geographic NC Center for Geographic Information and AnalysisInformation and Analysis

Conservation Lands- Conservation Lands- NC Center for NC Center for Geographic Information and AnalysisGeographic Information and Analysis

Natural Heritage Areas- Natural Heritage Areas- NCDENRNCDENR Parcels_gt20ac- Parcels_gt20ac- Conservation Fund/Worldview Conservation Fund/Worldview

SolutionsSolutions

AnalysisAnalysis

Determine extentDetermine extent 5 mile buffer around Beaufort County5 mile buffer around Beaufort County

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 1- How many acres of Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?currently exist in the county?

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 1- How many acres of “high Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?exist in the county? Determine high priority wetlands using Determine high priority wetlands using

WetlandRatings dataset WetlandRatings dataset 3 ratings- Beneficial Significance, Substantial 3 ratings- Beneficial Significance, Substantial

Significance, Exceptional SignificanceSignificance, Exceptional Significance Based on water quality, hydrology, and habitatBased on water quality, hydrology, and habitat Chose “Exceptional” from WetlandRatings Chose “Exceptional” from WetlandRatings

datasetdataset

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 1- How many acres of Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?currently exist in the county? Calculate acreage of high priority Calculate acreage of high priority

wetlandswetlands

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 1- How many acres of Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?currently exist in the county? Calculate acreage of high priority Calculate acreage of high priority

wetlandswetlands51,591 acres51,591 acres

AnalysisAnalysis Question 1- How many acres of “high Question 1- How many acres of “high

priority wetland resources” currently priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?exist in the county? Buffer high priority wetlands 100 feet- to Buffer high priority wetlands 100 feet- to

reduce edge effectreduce edge effect

Calculate acreage of high priority wetlandsCalculate acreage of high priority wetlands

Group adjacent high priority wetlands Group adjacent high priority wetlands togethertogether

51,591 acres51,591 acres

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 2- Where should the county Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future overlay zone” to guide future development?development?

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 2- Where should the county Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future overlay zone” to guide future development?development?

Create HubsCreate Hubs Identify adjacent wetlands to includeIdentify adjacent wetlands to include

Adjacent priority 2 wetlands (“Substantial”) that Adjacent priority 2 wetlands (“Substantial”) that are also greater than 125 acresare also greater than 125 acres

Adjacent already preserved lands Adjacent already preserved lands Conservation landsConservation lands Natural Heritage AreasNatural Heritage Areas

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 2- Where should the Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands county develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide protection overlay zone” to guide future development?future development?

Merge important adjacent wetlands Merge important adjacent wetlands with high priority wetland coreswith high priority wetland cores Reclassify NoData to 1Reclassify NoData to 1 Raster Calculator- Single Map Algebra Raster Calculator- Single Map Algebra

(Addition)(Addition)

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 3- Which land parcels are Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland protection of the county’s wetland systems?systems?

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 3- Which land parcels are Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland protection of the county’s wetland systems?systems? Identify land parcels to include in hubIdentify land parcels to include in hub

Parcels that intersect any portion of hubParcels that intersect any portion of hub Determine the percent acreage of each Determine the percent acreage of each

parcel that is covered by the core and hub - parcel that is covered by the core and hub - Zonal Statistics, Join tablesZonal Statistics, Join tables

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 3- Which land parcels are Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland protection of the county’s wetland systems?systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based

on location (core and hub) and ownershipon location (core and hub) and ownership OwnershipOwnership

State, county, city- 1State, county, city- 1 Forest, real estate- 2Forest, real estate- 2 Mining, private-3Mining, private-3

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 3- Which land parcels are Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland protection of the county’s wetland systems?systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on

location (core and hub) and ownershiplocation (core and hub) and ownership Core and Hub percentagesCore and Hub percentages

100%- 1100%- 1 75%-275%-2 50%-350%-3 25%-425%-4

AnalysisAnalysis

Question 3- Which land parcels are Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland protection of the county’s wetland systems?systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based

on location (core and hub) and on location (core and hub) and ownershipownership Added Core percentage, Hub percentage, Added Core percentage, Hub percentage,

and ownership valuesand ownership values

Very High Very High 91 Parcels – 25186 91 Parcels – 25186 acresacres

High High 319 Parcels – 74572 319 Parcels – 74572 acresacres

MediumMedium 211 Parcels – 33846 211 Parcels – 33846 acresacres

Low Low 1612 Parcels – 143582 1612 Parcels – 143582 acresacres

Future analysisFuture analysis

Rivers and lower priority wetlands- Rivers and lower priority wetlands- very important for corridor analysisvery important for corridor analysis