Virginia Coastal Program: 2003 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY2003 Task 95.01
Grantee:
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation - Division of Natural Heritage
Project Title:
Green Infrastructure Priority Maps
Project Description as Proposed:
The Virginia Conservation
Lands Assessment model identifies ecologically significant hubs
and corridors that can be prioritized for various protection and
management needs. This model is a large part of the Coastal Program’s
Green Infrastructure mapping concept, which together with blue infrastructure
mapping will feed into the three-year Integration Strategy to develop
new laws or policies that better link local land use ordinances
to state water use policy.
During this grant, DCR-NH will continue to meet with staff from
state agencies represented on the Coastal Policy Team to determine
what data these agencies might have, and assess the potential for
the agency(ies) development of GIS data layers and prioritization
of the data represented in a format compatible with an integrated
Land Conservation Assessment tool. The multi-year strategy is for
this integrated package to serve as a delineation of “green
infrastructure,” important areas that should be protected in
order to ensure adequate nature-based services to sustain a healthy
coast.
Also, DCR-NH will be responsible for demonstrating the VCLA and
associated priority data, and assisting technical staff in its use
and enhancement, at appropriate state agencies and at the Coastal
PDC’s, so that they will be able to use the model according
to their needs. PDC’s, once assisted to use this tool, can
in turn encourage their localities to use it. In this way, localities
will receive a detailed picture of important areas that should be
protected in order to ensure adequate nature-based services to sustain
healthy coastal communities, and be able to mesh these priorities
with local needs and priorities to develop more fine-scaled plans
for local action. During this training, DCR-NH will identify and
promote case studies that demonstrate the range of ways in which
localities and agencies can use the VCLA and Green Infrastructure
planning techniques to enhance planning and community development.
Federal Funding:
$32,000
Project Contact:
Steve Carter-Lovejoy, 804.786.8377, scarterlovejoy@dcr.state.va.us
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
The
Virginia Conservation Lands Needs Assessment (VCLNA) is a flexible,
widely applicable tool for integrating and coordinating the needs
and strategies of different conservation interests, using GIS to
model and map land conservation priorities in Virginia. The VCLNA
allows the manipulation of issue-specific datasets that can be weighted
and overlaid to reflect the needs and concerns of a variety of conservation
partners.
This project facilitated the distribution of the first VCLNA products-
a Natural Landscape Assessment (NLA) for the Coastal Zone. The VCLNA
NLA uses GIS technology and satellite imagery to identify and prioritize
natural lands and the habitat corridors necessary to support and
enhance them. The primary focus of the NLA is ecological prioritization
- which are the most important natural, unfragmented lands, based
on considerations of biological and ecological value and integrity?
The VCLNA NLA was presented and the GIS data were delivered to Planning
District Commissions (PDCs) and many localities at meetings hosted
by six coastal zone PDCs. During these meetings, participants were
introduced to the ecological concepts behind the NLA, given an overview
of the NLA products, and instructed in proper use of these data
for their planning efforts. Products distributed include hard-copy
atlases with maps interfacing the NLA with geospatial datasets showing
areas of high development pressure, protected lands, and natural
heritage resource sites, as well as CDs containing NLA GIS data
and models. The CD containing data, maps, and methodology is an
inexpensive way to distribute a large amount of information, including
data and metadata that allow users to explore the VCLNA NLA in detail.
This CD will be the primary data source for local and regional applications
of the VCLNA NLA for at least another year, until the next-phase
NLA is completed using new data for the entire Coastal Zone.
The Natural Landscape Assessment is a fundamental complement to
other conservation interests and needs, but it considers only a
subset of the many issues that can determine the importance of a
specific property. This project also helped fund DCR to continue
assembling the additional GIS datasets needed to make the VCLNA
a comprehensive tool for the varied needs of all of Virginia's conservation
partners.
DCR maintains a website through which VCLNA data can be acquired
at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dnh/vclna.htm
.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
