Environmental Methods Integration

September 15, 2015

Overview

*Design with Nature

*Coastal Management

*The Valleys as Case Study

Design with Nature

• What were some takeaways from Ian McHarg readings on coastal management and The Valleys?

• What is the argument for integrating natural processes into development?

Ecological Analysis: Sandbar Formation

Ecological Analysis: Inherent Development Limitations

• Thou shalt not walk on the dune grass
• Thou shalt not lower groundwater below critical level
• Thou shalt not interrupt littoral drift
• Thou shalt not develop the beach nor primary dune

Amelia Island as Case Study

• 1971 Master Plan by McHarg's firm
• Stated goal: "develop in harmony with nature"
• Minimum 40ft buffer established for waterways
• Primary dune and dune trough generally protected

So what's McHard's basic premise?
Consider nature in designing development! 

Benefits extend beyond merely the environmental

http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/environment/article_0092ff59-3e9a-5648-ac73-9f75016671aa.html

Seaside Saved by Dunes

A few wise words on the subject

"We have established that natural phenomena are dynamic interacting processes, responsive to laws, and that these proffer opportunities and limitations to human use."

"They therefore can be evaluated-- each area of land or water has an intrinsic suitability for certain single or multiple land uses and a rank order within these land use categories."

In more technical terms: Land Capability Analysis

Land Capability Analysis

• Land use is often a choice between alternatives
• Important that recommendations and decisions are based on data that are properly evaluated and integrated
• Must consider whether a certain area is capable of sustaining a land use to which it is assigned without incurring serious adverse effects or environmental costs

The Plan for The Valleys

• Initiated in 1962, comprehensive regional planning process that brought together landowners
• Goal became to protect resources valued by land owners while accommodating expected growth
• 130 square miles--over 83,000 acres--north of Baltimore, Maryland in Baltimore County
• Developed multiple scenario alternatives, including status quo projection, that weighed both environmental and market value costs

The Proposition

• The area is beautiful and vulnerable;
• Development is inevitable and must be accommodated;
• Uncontrolled growth is inevitably destructive;
• Development must conform to regional goals;
• Observance of conservation principles can avert destruction and assure enhancement;
• The area can absorb all prospective growth without despoliation;
• Planned growth is more desirable than unplanned growth, and more profitable;
• Public and private powers can be joined in partnership in a process to realize the plan.

First Step: Build Out Analysis & Alternatives

First Step: Build Out Analysis & Alternatives

Second Step: Environmental Inventory

• Maps environmentally sensitive areas, including important resources, physiographic features and natural hazards
• Involves gathering of data and mapping for both environmental and socioeconomic factors
• Provides inputs for GIS analysis, public participation, and red flagging areas to avoid

Environmental Inventory Cont.

*Collection of data, but not analysis

Third Step: Land Suitability Analysis

• Combines disparate inventory information to produce maps that display the relative suitability for a specific land use or array of uses
• The Process involves:
  • Determine objectives
  • Identify data needs
  • Develop inventory and maps
  • Combine and form composite map for interpretation
• Can be done with color gradients, scoring systems, etc.

http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/Divisions/LongRangePlanning/PlanningPrograms/TransportationPlanning/bikeandped/suitability-mapping.cfm

The Valleys Today

• Roughly 60,000 acres of area in conservation easement, additional preserved at extremely low residential density
• Urban-Rural Demarcation line north of Baltimore that has contained 90% of the population on 1/3 of the county's total land area
• Baltimore County has no incorporated municipalities, urban areas are within the URDL

Portland Urban Growth Boundary

Leon County Urban Service Area

It can be done.

-McHarg

The plan: http://www.thevpc.org/wp-content/uploads/PlanForTheValleys.pdf

Environmental Methods Integration II

September 17, 2015

Overview

*EIA, US & Elsewhere

*Driving Principles

*Class Presentation

So what's an Environmental Impact Assessment, anyway?

Plain and simple, the process of identifying environmental consequences of human activities, before those activities begin and while we still have time to make mitigative decisions.

Purpose in a policy context: Provide decision makers with sound information about likely impacts of human actions and public with objective basis to collect comment and discussion.

An EIA, More or Less

• Scoping
• Public Involvement
• Formulation of Alternatives
• Impact Assessment
• Evaluation of Alternatives
• Decision-Making

EIA in US context

• Environmental assessment prepared pursuant to NEPA guidelines and requirements
• Determines whether proposed action would significant affect environment and therefore require full Environmental Impact Statement reporting 
• Certified release results in either:
  • Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
  • An EIS 

EIA in US Context Cont.

• Original NEPA regulations briefly mention EIAs
• Early intent was to be a concise document used prior to EIS in rare occasion when impacts were truly unknown
• Today agencies favor EIA over more intense EIS, ratio of use is approximately 100 to 1
• Trend is toward wider use of categorical exclusions to avoid even the EIA process
• CEs now have categories of use and project types recognized in advance to have negligible known impacts

EIAs are a worldwide process driven by overarching principles, but exact process varies by international context.

Important to understand because: 

1. Not exclusive to regulatory agencies. Process often used with adjustments for decisions internal to large organizations or corporations
2. Without comparative knowledge, difficult to bring reform to your own or other countries.
   Example: public participation

The ethos of an impact assessment transcends any particular national model or framework, and the most successful are adapted to reflect local culture and attitudes. 

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Impacts on the Environment
  • Changes in environmental systems with known casual linkage. (i.e. Contaminant output warms waterbody. Warmer water kills fish)
  • Should be considered free from bias, but difficult for anyone to achieve objectivity

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Environment is an Umbrella Term
  • Initially understood to mean natural sytems
  • Recently expanded to include socioeconomic and cultural systems (i.e. Does a certain industry or sub-culture rely on the fish that died?)
  • Social impact assessments grown more popular in US, Canada, New Zealand, but is it positive to segment impact assessments?

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Public Involvement is Important
  • Process necessary to give voice to those impacted
  • Public participation levels are the least consistent aspect of EIAs across international contexts
  • In its best form, extends far beyond simple consultation

Arnstein's Ladder

Published in 1969 as attempt to categorize varying levels of participation and intent

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Alternatives are Considered
  • Most require at least one to be a 'do-nothing' alternative that projects current trends forward as a baseline against which to measure
  • At minimum must consider No Action vs. Proposed Action. Additional options can be proposed by agency or by the public
  • Sub-alternatives can form relating to multiple issues or even to proposed mitigation actions

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Alternatives are Considered Cont.
  • Best approached earlier in a process before design decisions are too mature, gives time and flexibility to consider alternative locations, layouts, or specs

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Impacts are Identified and Quantified
  • Environmental, social, and economic impacts either direct, indirect, and cumulative
  • Considers the magnitude (large or small), direction (positive or negative), extent (geographic scale), speed (rate of change), and duration (long or short term) of an impact
  • Must also assess whether impact is irreversible  

Real World Examples

Categorical Exclusions overturned in court

​http://tucson.com/news/local/judge-rules-against-mining-project-near-patagonia/article_1f0a7036-5cb0-11e5-ab5e-ab91fe2b3ff1.html

Assessments deemed inadequate in court

http://arkansasnews.com/news/arkansas/coalition-says-analysis-hog-farm-s-environmental-impact-flawed

EIAs Have Driving Principles

• Decisions Must be Made
  • Important decision considerations include values, laws & regulations, and technical scientific data
  • Many methodologies use cost-benefit analysis, hedonic pricing, and qualitative analysis (often in the form of public comments)
  • Results in formal Record of Decision which details the final decision and catalogues how the EIA's information and process was used