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Network
Impacts: Research & Information
Gathering > Changes to the Decision
Making Process > Changes to Plans > Changes
to Regulations > On the Ground Changes > Beyond
Local Impacts
Research & Information
Gathering
Natural
resource based planning needs to be founded on solid information. When
land
use decision makers have access to current resource information
and research tools, they are better armed to make wise decisions for
their community. However, local land use decision-makers are often volunteers
with limited time, resources and support. Thus, one of the most important
roles a NEMO program can play is to assist communities to gather and
analyze information, whether it’s conducting a simple natural resource
inventory or visualizing future development scenarios using sophisticated
geospatial tools.
| Alexander
City, Alabama |
| Students
from the Auburn University Landscape Architecture (AULA) Department,
a NEMO Partner, provided Alexander City with a community blueprint
for watershed restoration practices. The blueprint was intended
to encourage stormwater infiltration and storage. Recommendations
included the use of pervious concrete, rain gardens and stream
restoration and are now being considered for implementation. |
| Arizona |
| The
AZ NEMO Program is conducting watershed assessments throughout
the state in an effort to help communities develop watershed based
plans. They have identified watershed vulnerability to nonpoint
source pollution from abandoned mine sites, erosion due to grazing
and contaminants due to septic failure, and are creating GIS maps
for watershed documents. With an average watershed size of 7,000
square miles, the program has completed and posted on the web maps
covering about 23,000 square miles of the state. |
| Woodstock,
Connecticut |
| With
guidance and advice from CT NEMO, the rural town of Woodstock completed
a natural resource inventory and posted it on a dedicated website
for the public to view and download maps. The inventory has been
used as a basis for the town’s Plan for Open Space and Conservation, and for revising
development proposals. |
| Calcasieu
Parish, Louisiana |
| The
LA NEMO Program used GIS and remote sensing data for the Calcasieu
River basin to demonstrate potential impacts of flooding and nonpoint
pollution to Calcasieu Parish officials. As a result, the Parish
Police Jury, the equivalent of a county council, passed an ordinance
requiring inspections and maintenance of individual home sewer
systems. LA NEMO assisted the Parish’s Division of Planning and Development by developing
and implementing educational programs for the 25,000 plus homeowners
that will be affected. |
| Osceola,
Wisconsin |
| The
Northland NEMO Program worked with the City of Osceola to complete
a stormwater study focused on protecting a designated trout stream
in the area. As a result of the NEMO study, the city installed
a rain garden demonstration project in a new development that had
been designed with traditional “curb
and gutter” drainage. |
| Louisiana |
| LA
NEMO developed a statewide nonpoint resource directory listing
all local and state agencies and their programs. |
| |
| Pike
Road, Alabama: The City of Pike Road participated in
a stakeholder led planning process in the Spring of 2005, with
the Auburn University Landscape Architecture (AULA) team. AULA
students created stormwater friendly designs for a proposed horse
park and trail. |
| Maine |
| The
ME NEMO Program developed the Maine Resources Guide, a dynamic
list of resources available to towns and groups in the land use
planning process. It includes specific contacts from Maine, as
well as resources from throughout the country. |
| Strafford,
New Hampshire |
| Following
educational support from the New Hampshire NEMO effort, NROC, Strafford
developed new maps to be used for conservation planning and identified
priority conservation areas in the town. The town then targeted
community education and outreach efforts on land conservation to
landowners in priority areas. |
| Fairhope,
Alabama |
| As
a result of AL NEMO’s educational
efforts and support, the fast-growing City of Fairhope is conducting
a natural resource inventory to identify and prioritize areas
for natural resource protection. |
| Duluth,
Minnesota |
| Northland
NEMO used the Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT) (page 31)
to develop an impervious surface assessment for the City of Duluth.
The city has used that analysis to identify critical habitat and
open space areas and prioritize tax forfeiture lands for protection. |
| Bluffton,
South Carolina |
| SC
NEMO provided technical and financial support to the Town of Bluffton,
located outside of Hilton Head, to develop a critical resources
survey and map. The survey is being used to identify threats to
critical natural resources, and serve as the basis for natural
resource protection ordinances being drafted that help protect
wetlands, floodplains, trees, wildlife habitat and stormwater. |
| Galveston
Bay, Texas |
| The
TX NEMO Program completed a wetland loss analysis for the Galveston
Bay Watershed. The analysis, funded by the Galveston Bay Estuary
Program, determined that at least 14% of the freshwater wetlands
in Harris County were lost between 1992 and 2002, with over half
of that in the last two years of the study period. |
| Maine |
| The
ME NEMO Program used the ISAT tool (page 31) to evaluate existing
impervious surface coverage compared to projected conditions for
the Town of Freeport. The results spurred the town to revise their
comprehensive plan and zoning to significantly limit the amount
of impervious surfaces at fully built-out conditions. |
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