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Regional Planning Updates
Currently, there are 14 local and regional open space planning efforts encompassing 92 counties across North Carolina. These local and regional efforts will provide invaluable information to be used in the development of the One North Carolina Naturally statewide conservation plan. Consistent data from each of these Regional Plans is being incorporated into the One North Carolina Naturally decision support tool, and the data
will be continually updated to remain current.
Ongoing Open Space Planning Efforts Across North Carolina
North Coastal Plain
The Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments
(Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, and Wilson counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Williamston on Nov. 30, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments (UCPCOG) has developed a regional strategy for open space conservation, as part of the One North Carolina Naturally program established by NC DENR. Workshops were held in each of the five UCPCOG counties, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, and resulted in updating an inventory of existing conservation resources, identifying near-term planned resources and developing areas for future focus. Results of the workshops were shared with participants and area planners, and a final report has been submitted to NC DENR. The Upper Coastal Plain Region Open Space Strategy is available on the UCPCOG website: http://www.ucpcog.org/pds/OpenSpace.html
Albemarle Commission
(Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Williamston on Nov. 30, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Albemarle Commission is working with NC DENR to develop an Open Space Plan for 10 counties in the northeast corner of the state. A progress report will be provided at the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Williamston on Nov. 30, 2004.
http://www.ucpcog.org
http://www.mideastcom.org
South Coastal Plain
Eastern Carolina Council
(Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico and Wayne counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in New Bern on Nov. 17, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Eastern Carolina Council (ECC) has contracted with NC DENR to complete an Open Space Plan for the nine counties served by ECC. Meetings were held in all nine counties with concerned and knowledgeable individuals to gather input. ECC created a map for each county and, using Basin Pro GIS data provided by the Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, identified areas of existing open space. Participants verified the existing information; identified parcels for which there were known plans for open space; and identified future, desired open space. Additional GIS data was obtained from other knowledgeable sources. A progress report will be provided at the One NCNaturally regional meeting in New Bern on Nov.17, 2004.
http://www.eccog.org
Cape Fear Council of Governments
(Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting at the Brunswick Community College campus in Leland near Wilmington on Dec. 8, 2004, to hear
a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Cape Fear Council of Governments will work with NC DENR to create an Open Space Strategy and Map for the four counties within the program boundary of the Cape Fear Council of Governments. The strategy document and its associated maps will combine, into one place, spatial and attribute data on all existing private and public protected areas in the regions; significant, known conservation opportunities in the region, and areas where local and some state entities plan to pursue protection projects in the near future. During July and August 2004, data layers were compiled, created, cleaned and put together into base maps for the county meetings. County meetings were held in September and October. Draft Open Space Strategy and Maps will be available for review by interested parties through Nov. 30, 2004. The final document and its associated map will be completed by Dec. 31, 2004.
www.capefearcog.org
Sandhills
Sustainable Sandhills
(Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties and Fort Bragg)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Southern Pines on Dec. 2, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
Sustainable Sandhills, a regional partnership involving many parties throughout the Sandhills of North Carolina, has been active developing projects and applying for grants for region-wide plans that address a variety of topics, as well as planning to become a stand-alone nonprofit organization. The five Community Resource Teams (Air, Energy, Land Use, Materials Use &Waste, and Water) each have a project in the planning stages, and if grant funding comes through, all will be underway later this year. The Land Use Team has applied for an EPA grant and will develop a regional sustainability plan, beginning with a "land suitability" analysis using GIS maps and community workshops to prepare priorities for the regional community. The Air Team has also applied for an EPA grant and is working on voluntary retrofit of diesel vehicles, and testing of biodiesel in school buses. The Energy Team, a new member of the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, is planning a workshop on addressing barriers to solar system installation and use. The Materials Use & Waste Team will host a workshop for local governments on developing Environmentally Preferable Purchasing policies, with technical assistance from NC DENR DPPEA. The Water Team plans to host a workshop on Low Impact Development (LID) for builders, developers, and the real estate community, working with partners from throughout the state, as part of a series on LID.
www.sustainablesandhills.org
Mid-East Commission
(Beaufort, Bertie, Hertford, Martin, and Pitt counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Williamston on Nov. 30, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
Mid-East Commission staff scheduled and conducted a series of three meetings to solicit input for this plan. Correspondence was sent to each county, and all of the municipalities within these counties asking them to participate. Correspondence was also sent to the Nature Conservancy, Weyerhaeuser, International Paper, Georgia Pacific, NCDOT, and all five county Soil and Water Conservation Offices. An Open Space presentation was made at the Mid-East Commission monthly board meeting, which includes community leaders from all five Counties. Planners from the Mid-East Commission also mentioned this in several other venues in order to increase participation. Mid-East Commission staff is currently refining maps of property that has been conserved or in which there is interest in conserving.
www.mideastcom.org
Eastern Piedmont
Triangle J Council of Governments
(Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange and Wake counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Southern Pines on Dec. 2, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
In its first two phases, the Triangle GreenPrint Project worked with a range of public and private organizations and agencies to develop a regional vision of a linked network of green space throughout the Triangle. Now the project is in its Tracking and Coordination Phase (Phase 3). Using a special web-based data submission system, project staff are collecting information on all the land protection and trails projects planned throughout the region over the next five years. These projects will then be compared with the places identified in earlier phases of the GreenPrint to measure the progress the region is making toward protecting a linked network of green space. This information will also help land management organizations identify new land protection opportunities and serve as a catalyst for greater cross-jurisdictional collaboration on land protection and trails initiatives. The GreenPrint Project is a collaborative initiative of the Triangle J Council of Governments, the Triangle Land Conservancy, and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, working closely with local governments, land trusts, and other partners throughout the Triangle. For more information, contact Ben Hitchings, Triangle J Council of Governments, (benh@tjcog.org; 919/558-9397).
http://www.tjcog.dst.nc.us
Central Piedmont
Piedmont Triad Council of Governments
(Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Salisbury on Nov. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG) worked with NC DENR in the winter and spring of 2003 to create an Open Space Plan for the 12-County Piedmont-Triad Region (all counties in Regions G and I). The plan and its associated maps combine in one place, 1) the spatial and attribute data on all existing private and public protected areas in the regions; 2) significant, known conservation opportunities in the region, and 3) areas where local governments and some State entities plan to pursue protection projects in the near future. The final report is available at
http://www.ptcog.org/files/openspace.pdf
South Piedmont
Isothermal Planning & Development Commission
(Cleveland, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Asheville on Dec. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
In an effort to promote the conservation of open space in Region C, Isothermal Planning & Development Commission is working, in partnership with the NC DENR, on the initial steps of a regional open space plan. This is part of a larger effort across the state, and includes gathering of open space data for the creation of GIS layers; preparation of a Public Outreach Plan; and review of created data by GIS professionals and conservation interests. The Isothermal Planning & Development Commission is currently finishing up the first task, and is beginning the preparation of its Public Outreach Plan. It is hoped that these steps will lead, with both local government and financial support, to a larger regional open space planning effort.
www.regionc.org
Centralina Council of Governments
(Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Salisbury on Nov. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
Centralina Council of Governments is actively engaged in the Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life (SEQL) program. SEQL is a 15-county, bi-state effort in the Charlotte metropolitan region to integrate environmental considerations into all aspects of planning and economic reinvestment. This program is regional in its vision and influence, but local in application, with more than 50 jurisdictions signed on to the project. SEQL involves elected officials, local government, business and industry groups, economic development groups, and environmental stakeholder groups working together toward viable solutions to regional growth. SEQL promotes implementation of specific action items on air quality, sustainable growth and water resources and consideration of environmental impacts in decision-making at local and regional levels. The EPA program recently honored Centralina Council of Governments and Catawba Regional Council of Governments for leadership and innovation to improve the environment. http://www.centralina.org/seql/
Centralina Council of Governments is pleased to announce the birth of the Regional Greenways Initiative Listserv. One of the actions suggested by the Greenways Focus Group, which met in July, was the establishment of “online networking” capabilities. This listserv is designed to help those interested in greenway efforts communicate more effectively through e-mail. An additional outcome of the meeting was the Regional Greenways Initiative Work Plan. This plan, prepared by Centralina COG, addresses each of the actions suggested by the Greenways Focus Group. Periodic updates will be provided by COG on the plan. To post a message to the listserv, send an e-mail message to: Greenways@centralina.org . To subscribe or unsubscribe, send your request with your name and e-mail address to bhenderson@centralina.org . Please remember to indicate the Greenways listserv and whether you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe.
http://www.centralina.org/seql/
North Mountains
Western Piedmont Council of Governments
(Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Asheville on Dec. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Western Piedmont Council of Governments has made two open space maps available on their website. The first is the Upper Catawba River Trail, an 82-mile trail that goes from Lake James to Lake Lookout Shoals and includes 24 access points and 4 portages. The trail was recently dedicated and 10,000 maps are available to the public. The second is the Recreation Inventory Map.
www.wpcog.dst.nc.us
High Country Council of Government
(Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Asheville on Dec. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The High Country Council of Government recently contracted with DENR to compile base data needed to begin an open space planning process for the seven-county region. The COG has started the process of contacting local conservation groups and agencies to identify conservation-related land use patterns and plans. The project is expected to be completed in Fall 2004.
http://www.regiond.org/
South Mountains
Land of Sky Regional Council
(Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Asheville on Dec. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Land-of-Sky Regional Council has met with county planners, environmentalists, land trust staff, mappers and state officials to create a conceptual regional open space plan that considers local conservation needs and opportunities. The plan includes federal, state and local government open space holdings as well as lands managed by land trust and other conservation organizations.
http://www.landofsky.org/GIS/maps.htm.
Southwestern Commission
(Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties)
Register to attend the One NCNaturally regional meeting in Asheville on Dec. 9, 2004, to hear a progress report on open space planning in this region.
The Southwestern North Carolina Planning and Economic Development Commission has worked with the local land trust to ensure itsproperties are identified. Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College have good GIS data sets including land conservation efforts and areas to target. Staff members have picked out county/town properties, U.S. Forest Service land, game lands, parks and greenways. County-level maps have been updated with the newly acquired parcel data. Staff continues to work with adjacent regions on plan development ideas and strategies to create an open space plan that supports Region A and surrounding counties
http://www.regiona.org
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