Natural Systems Subcommittee

The Committee shall study and recommend ecologically sound actions to conserve the environmental resources in the three-county area.

Key Issue Areas

A. Coordinating Different Approaches to Conserving Environmental Resources
B. Preservation of Natural Resources
C. Specific Impacts from Development on the Environment
D. Environmental Planning, Growth Management and Land Use
E. Protecting Water Bodies
F. Economy and The Environment
G. Partnering and Working Together
 

Key information

Presentations

• Presentations on the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, CERP, and agriculture.
• Answers to the Key Questions coming from the Florida Environment Protection Agency, the South Florida Water management District, and professional Environmental Engineers.
• Information on processes used to assess impacts of proposed projects on environmental resources (e.g., NEPA and FDOT PD&E study processes for some proposed transportation projects)
• GIS maps of environmental resources. Provide information about best practices and incentives for environmental protection, acquisition, connectivity, etc.
• Could we have an update on the Ft. Pierce inlet and it's development?
• Information of the Corp of Engineers approach to lake discharges and cleaning. Are the monies forthcoming? Information on how the restoration of the Kissimmee river is doing.
• We need to have the Pew Oceans Report, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy preliminary report, descriptions of the resources as they now exist from respected scientists and a historical perspective of what our development activities have done to the resources.

Data

• Projected growth patterns, resources and programs available to protect environmental resources, realistic assessment of the current and future impacts on the environment in relation to growth and development.
• Gather data regarding environmentally sensitive areas and endangered species and plan accordingly to protect the area/species.
• Do a study of costs of development
• Any studies performed as to what losses have occurred in local waters? Water quality, animal life, both in and out of water?
• Getting the background factual data for our decision making

Success Stories

• How have other communities successfully accomplished the above?
• Where has integrated land conservation and urban planning been successful.
  
• Educate the Committee regarding the tools, including where they have been used successfully.
• States such as New York and Ohio have made great progress in returning their rivers to health. What useful information is available from them?
• Have any states implemented plans to save their waterways before they were destroyed? Do we have any results?
• Assess trends in public vs. private ownership along the Treasure Coast. What are other communities doing to successfully address this issue?

Inventories

• Identify the resources that are at issue and the current methods being used to preserve them.
• Existing conditions and trends including GIS analysis (land use and land cover changes over time, location of approved or projected development in relation to wetlands, floodplains and regionally significant habitat, etc.)
• The Committee needs to understand that undeveloped land has value to the community and not just to the property owner who has the right to develop it.
• Inventory of resources.
• What do we have now and what do we want in the future? How to pay for these lands?
• What is the status of the current environment in the region, i.e., land in public ownership or conservation easement, quality of this land, protected water bodies, greenways.
• Inventory select areas to be preserved

Land Use and Regulations

• Land development regulations
• What are current methods/laws governing impacts?