Line 60: | Line 60: | ||
====High quality natural resource areas==== | ====High quality natural resource areas==== | ||
− | Does your community comprehensive plan include an inventory of high quality natural resource areas and are land-use decisions guided by the inventory in order to protect these areas from development? | + | Does your community comprehensive plan include an inventory of high quality natural resource areas and are land-use decisions guided by the inventory in order to protect these areas from development? |
− | *Yes, | + | *Yes, a Natural Resource Inventory or Natural Resource Assessment is incorporated into the subdivision or development process (4 pts) |
*Yes, inventoried (1 pt) | *Yes, inventoried (1 pt) | ||
*No (0 pts) | *No (0 pts) | ||
− | *I don’t know / not specified (0 pts) | + | *I don’t know / not specified (0 pts) |
+ | |||
====Filling in floodplain areas==== | ====Filling in floodplain areas==== | ||
Line 75: | Line 76: | ||
====Sensitive wetlands==== | ====Sensitive wetlands==== | ||
− | Does your community protect high quality or sensitive wetlands through a Resource | + | Does your community protect high quality or sensitive wetlands through a Resource Management Plan or Wetland Management Plan? (Select one) |
− | Management Plan or Wetland Management Plan? (Select one) | ||
*Yes, plan exceeds state standards (2 pts) | *Yes, plan exceeds state standards (2 pts) | ||
*Yes, plan meets state standards (1 pts) | *Yes, plan meets state standards (1 pts) | ||
Line 84: | Line 84: | ||
====Buffers==== | ====Buffers==== | ||
− | Do your buffer standards include any floodplain, steep slope, vegetation or resource quality considerations (select all that apply) | + | Do your buffer standards include any floodplain, steep slope, vegetation or resource quality considerations? (select all that apply) |
*Additional buffer width to encompass 100-year floodplain (1 pt) | *Additional buffer width to encompass 100-year floodplain (1 pt) | ||
*Additional buffer width in areas with slopes 9% or greater (1 pt) | *Additional buffer width in areas with slopes 9% or greater (1 pt) | ||
*Buffer language clearly specifies vegetated cover requirements (1 pt) | *Buffer language clearly specifies vegetated cover requirements (1 pt) | ||
*Expanded stream buffer requirements for sensitive resources, such as trout streams and/or ORVWs (1 pt) | *Expanded stream buffer requirements for sensitive resources, such as trout streams and/or ORVWs (1 pt) | ||
+ | *No (0 pts) | ||
+ | *I don’t know / not specified (0 pts) | ||
+ | *Not applicable in my community (N/A) | ||
====Steep slopes==== | ====Steep slopes==== | ||
Line 95: | Line 98: | ||
*No (0 pts) | *No (0 pts) | ||
*I don’t know / not specified (0 pts) | *I don’t know / not specified (0 pts) | ||
− | *Not applicable in my community ( | + | *Not applicable in my community (N/A) |
====Urban forests==== | ====Urban forests==== | ||
Line 104: | Line 107: | ||
*Tree protection and replacement ordinance | *Tree protection and replacement ordinance | ||
*Design, construction, and maintenance standards for urban forests | *Design, construction, and maintenance standards for urban forests | ||
− | * | + | *Street reconstruction (including road diet lane conversions) that increases width of boulevard tree right-of-way |
+ | *Standards that address soil compaction during and after development/redevelopment of private land, and of public land like street boulevards? | ||
+ | *Stable funding for shade tree program, goals for increasing canopy coverage, or Tree City USA | ||
+ | *At least 5 of the above strategies including soil compaction standards: (8 pts) | ||
+ | *At least 4 of the above strategies including tree program/goals/Tree City: (5 pts) | ||
+ | *At least 4 of the above strategies: (3 pts) | ||
+ | *At least 3 of the above strategies: (2 pts) | ||
*At least 2 of the above strategies: (1 pt) | *At least 2 of the above strategies: (1 pt) | ||
− | * | + | *None (0 pts) |
− |
The Minnesota GreenStep Cities Stormwater Assessment, formerly called the Blue Star Assessment, ................
This section includes four sections that focus on ...........
Part A of the assessment includes two sections that address sprawl-limiting strategies and strategies for redevelopment, including Brownfield redevelopment.
Does your community comprehensive plan allow the following sprawl-limiting strategies? (Select all strategies that apply)
Wikipedia defines urban sprawl as "the expansion of human populations away from central urban areas into low-density, monofunctional and usually car-dependent communities". "Low-density" is an arbitrary term typically defined in local ordinances. Housing densities lower than 1 home per acre are often considered to be low density.
Urban sprawl has many negative environmental impacts, including habitat loss and fragmentation, increased water use, and increased energy consumption. The relationship between urban sprawl and stormwater has not been extensively studied. Sprawl may reduce imperviousness on a per acre basis, but increases overall impervious acreage. High density, mixed-use development, allows for more efficient stormwater management than low density development.
Further reading
Does your community have any of the following incentives specifically targeted to ‘brownfield’ development and redevelopment sites? (Select all that apply)
In your stormwater ordinance is there a definition of green infrastructure -- better management of stormwater while aiming to achieve other environmental, public health, social, and economic benefits? (Select one)
Does your community have a climate adaptation plan in place to address potential impacts of climate change on community water resource management? (Select one)
This section ....
Does your community comprehensive plan include an inventory of high quality natural resource areas and are land-use decisions guided by the inventory in order to protect these areas from development?
Does your community allow filling for development within the floodplain and if so, are restrictions imposed excluding storage of hazardous materials and requiring compensatory storage for fill? (Select one)
Does your community protect high quality or sensitive wetlands through a Resource Management Plan or Wetland Management Plan? (Select one)
Do your buffer standards include any floodplain, steep slope, vegetation or resource quality considerations? (select all that apply)
Does your community have land use protections and/or development restrictions that preserve slopes 18% or greater in a stable, undisturbed vegetated state? (Select one)
Does your community encourage the establishment and sustainability of urban forests through the following strategies: (select all strategies that apply, then check appropriate score box below)