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Planning and Environment Linkages: Case Studies

Planning and Environment Linkages: Case Studies. Michael Culp and John Humeston FHWA November 2, 2006. Presentation Topics. Range of method, complexity Case studies we know of: Pennsylvania Planning Partners Sacramento Area Council of Governments

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Planning and Environment Linkages: Case Studies

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  1. Planning and Environment Linkages:Case Studies Michael Culp and John Humeston FHWA November 2, 2006

  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)

  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

  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

  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

  6. ‘Pop-Up’ Data Source List • Provides information about where to obtain data for each consideration on Checklist

  7. 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

  8. 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”

  9. Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission: LRTP Analysis • Application: regional transportation planning • Product developed: evaluation and comparison of alternative transportation system plans

  10. 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

  11. Example of GIS output

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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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