Cuyahoga County Green Print – Organizing Framework Land Use for Strengthening Natural Systems

1. Cuyahoga County Green Print – Organizing FrameworkLand Use for Strengthening Natural Systems VISION for… • Great Lakes (Lake Erie) • Rivers & Watersheds • Habitat & Wildlife • Food & Grown Products • Green Spaces for People

2. Lake Erie & The Great Lakes • Significance of Great Lakes • 21% world’s freshwater • Shipping Industry $125MM/yr. • Recreational boating $3.8B/yr. • Sport Fishing $125B/yr. (Lake Erie $801M/yr) • Active Outdoor Recreation $730B • DRINKING Water source for most NE Ohioans • Current State of Lake Erie: • Poor • High sediment loads – erosion; construction; development • Severe algal blooms – nutrient runoff: agriculture; lawn & landscaping

3. Harmful Algal Blooms MODIS satellite image October 9, 2011

4. We are back to 1974 levels of nutrient pollutants!

5. We Envision Lake Erie & The Great Lakes: Clean & Ecologically Vibrant How can land use in our community improve Lake Erie? What areas of the community are: Land Use Matters - Nature Serves to… • Green Print Tools – show: • Features of the Land • Uses of the Land Maintain Vegetation Hold soils Clean & slow runoff • Vulnerable to erosion? • Causing sediment buildup (streams, sewers, catch basins)? • Causing soil loss? • Contributing pollutants to algae blooms? • Are highly impervious (compromising stormwater) • soil slope • highly erodible soils • landscape position Build Soil Types, Some more stable than others; store water to various degrees • land cover • impervious index • urban gardens, farms Nature Serves in MAINTAINING (Regulating) • Nature Serves in SUPPORTING

6. Places with these characteristics, unprotected, could lead to: • loss of good soil for the community • sediment reaching streams & Lake Erie Indicates places where soil is highly vulnerable to erosion • Are these areas zoned or for protection? • Do we allow building in these areas? • Do we require special construction precautions? • How do we assure vegetative cover to stabilize these areas? Slopes greater than 12% are considered steep and extra precautions, particularly in construction, are need to assure stability and prevention of erosion

7. Places with these characteristics might be large sources of fertilizers and other chemicals, running off into waterways, loading Lake Erie with algae-growing phosphates & nitrates • Are large municipal, school district and other public lands avoiding nutrient-heavy fertilizers? Do we have policies and practices in place for this? • Do we promote the use of low-nutrient landscape practices? • Do our codes allow for alternative vegetation mixes? Grass and barren areas could indicate lawns or agriculture Urban agri legend Urban farms and gardens might be using fertilizers & pesticides

8. Cuyahoga River, Watersheds & Stormwater • Significance of Cuyahoga River & Watersheds • Cuyahoga and parts of Lake Erie Shoreline are still listed on USEPA’s “Bad River List” • NEORSD is under Court Order to achieve CSO compliance • Watersheds, wetlands, functioning streams serve to slow, clean and manage stormwater • Current State of Cuyahoga River, Watersheds & Stormwater: • Poor fish populations; poor aquatic life; excessive sediment • CSO events which could be reduced somewhat with “Green Infrastructure” • Localized flooding of basements, roads, parking lots, fields

9. We Envision Celebrating the Delisting of the Cuyahoga; all Streams Clean & Healthy How can land use in our community get the Cuyahoga R. delisted? Reduce CSO incidents? Improve stormwater and streams in our watershed? What areas of the community are: Land Use Matters - Nature Serves to… • Green Print Tools – show: • Features of the Land • Uses of the Land • Stabilize soils • Slow & manage water flow • Clean & retain flow • Assure Habitat for aquatic life • Critical for stormwater capacity? • For adding capacity? • Critical zones for supporting aquatic life? • Watersheds • Wetlands • Stream type • Active stream zones Nature Serves in MAINTAINING (Regulating)

10. Indicate the boundary of major and minor watersheds • Where does our stormwater go? Which streams & rivers are affected? • Where are our wetlands? Are these protected? Do future plans put these at risk? • Is there room to expand wetlands to manage more water? • What’s going on the our Active Stream Areas? Are these protected? Do we allow building in thee areas? Other activities • What precautionary actions should we require for activities in these zones? Legally protected features which play a critical role in storing, releasing and cleaning stormwater, in addition to being diverse habitat Conveyances where stormwater goes { The zone or area in which a stream normally meanders; where soil, vegetation & living organisms determine the quality & function of the stream

11. Habitat & Wildlife • Significance of Habitat & Wildlife • The right combinations of plants, spatially and vertically, support a healthy biodiversity of wildlife • Large contiguous areas and corridors function better than fragments • Desirable wildlife keeps nuisance wildlife in check • Current State of Habitat & Wildlife: • Lake Erie shoreline is a significant habitat for migratory birds • Remaining tracts of woodlands are at risk for development • Invasive insects also threaten trees (EAB, ALB) • Urban deer populations on the rise due to loss of habitat • Communities spend $ spraying for insects • Vacant land provides potential opportunity

12. We Envision Great Birding, Healthy & Balanced Wildlife with adequate Habitat How can land use in our community support yet control balanced wildlife? Can nature help reduce pest control costs? What areas of the community are: Land Use Matters - Nature Serves to… • Green Print Tools – show: • Features of the Land • Uses of the Land • The right mix of vegetation to support desirable wildlife? • …to control nuisance wildlife? • Great places for bird watching? • Vegetation maintains 3 dimensional habitat matrix • Food web & shelter • Predator-Prey balance • IBAs • Land cover Nature Serves in MAINTAINING (Regulating)

13. Food & Grown Products • Significance of Local Food & Grown Products • Access to fresh, healthy food, free of toxins is becoming more critical to the public health and fitness of a community • Local foods have a lower carbon (transportation) footprint • Growing products ‘For Sale’ is a growing piece of the economic activity pie • Gardens and markets play a growing role in community building and neighborhood stability • Current State of Food & Grown Products: • Still 4.5 times farther to grocery than fast food (urban core) • 25.3% population considered living in a ‘food desert’ • Obesity, diabetes, etc. can be reduced with better nutrition • urban farms, vineyards & greenhouses proving profitable

14. We Envision Healthy People with Quality Food & New Businesses from Growing Things How can land use in our community support the local food movement? Are there business opportunities for “growing things” here? What areas of the community are/have: Land Use Matters - Nature Serves to… • Green Print Tools – show: • Features of the Land • Uses of the Land • Garden & agricultural activities? • Places with potential for commercial growing? • Places where a garden or market could be used to strengthen community? • Persons without easy access to healthy food (food deserts)? • Grows food, fibers & ornamentals • Raises of fish, livestock Nature Serves in PROVISIONING • community gardens • CSAs • u-picks • farmers markets • agriculture use designation • prime farmland

15. Green Places for People • Significance of Green Spaces for People • Access to outdoor, natural spaces serve for play, exercise & enjoyment • Trails serve as healthy, low-carbon alternative transportation • Unique & special places serve as destinations for tourism and emotional, spiritual moments • Current State of Green Places for People: • the urban core is notably lacking in parks & open spaces • Cemeteries, golf courses & open spaces can play environmental roles similar to parks • Private open spaces (i.e. golf courses) have potential for (are at risk) development

16. We Envision Bike & Pedestrian Friendly Transportation, Connected network of Trails, Nature Close-by & Great Outdoor Places for Play & Enjoyment How can land use in our community connect existing trails & parks? Make greenspace a value-driver? Who & what areas of the community are/have: Land Use Matters - Nature Serves to… • Green Print Tools – show: • Features of the Land • Uses of the Land • What % have easy access to parks & outdoor spaces? • …easy access to trails? • % of homes w/o vehicles have easy access to trails? • Where are the great views? Are these protected? • Where could property values be stabilized, strengthened via more greenspace? • Recreation & play • Breath-taking views • Informs Architecture • Property Values • Parks • Open spaces • Cemeteries • Golf courses • Trails • Trail deserts • Serves to Inform & Shape CULTURAL

17. All dimensions of the natural world and its interface with human activity can be understood, expressed and managed through this framework. The framework was developed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2001-2005) and used by more than 1300 scientists to appraise the conditions and trends of the worlds ecosystems. PROVISIONING • CULTURAL • MAINTAINING • (REGULATING) • SUPPORTING

18. The Cuyahoga county Planning commission Green Print organizes scientific data for understanding natural systems using the same framework PROVISIONING Soils for growing Growing activity • CULTURAL • Parks • Open spaces • Cemeteries & Golf Courses • Trails • Important Bird Areas • MAINTAINING • (REGULATING) • Vegetation/Land cover • Wetlands • Streams • Special soils • Watersheds • Habitat • SUPPORTING: • Physiography, Topography & Soil Formation

20. Cuyahoga County Green Print The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment assessed the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. From 2001 to 2005, the MA involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably. Several urban ecology frameworks exist. All include elements of the natural world, as well as the nature-human intersections critical to urban areas. The Cuyahoga County Green Print uses the framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. This is global framework, developed by more than 1300 scientists, embodies the critical attributes of urban ecology common among the frameworks reviewed. http://www.maweb.org

21. Business Leaders Municipal Leaders Institutional Leaders County Political Leaders Visionaries TOOLS of BEHAVIORS & DECISIONS Policies POINTS OF TRANSACTION Land Use Decisions Master Plans Codes Zoning & BZA Local Initiatives (voluntary) Construction/building Permits Checklists Point of Sale Requir. Incentives Private Property FUTURE Development Commerc/Indust Private Property Residential Private Property Commerc/Indust Public Property (local/state) Private Property Institutional Other? Interest groups Citizens Developers