# Presentation: 926765

## Planning and Environment Linkages:Case Studies

- Michael Culp and John Humeston
- FHWA
- November 2, 2006

## Presentation Topics

- Range of method, complexity
- Case studies we know of:
- Pennsylvania Planning Partners
- Sacramento Area Council of Governments
- Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
- Houston-Galveston Area Council
- Case studies you know of! (audience participation solicited)

## Pennsylvania Planning Partners: Environmental Checklist

- Application: project and regional transportation planning
- Products developed: tools to help with planning processes (MS Word format)
- Checklist of natural, cultural considerations to factor into planning process
- Supplemental ‘pop-up’ list of data sources

## Planning Partners Checklist

- Checklist of resources, topics to be considered during project planning
- To identify
- resources that could affect project planning, environmental documentation
- other efforts in the region to promote coordination
- Precursor to the formal scoping process under NEPA; information to serve as the basis for scoping document

## Checklist Details

- Guides planners to note if a resource is present, and whether or not there might be an effect on it
- Sampling of considerations:
- Aquatic: surface waters, public water supplies, wetlands, floodplains
- Land: agricultural resources, geotechnical concerns, wilderness areas, conservation areas
- Section 4(f): historic resources, public parks
- Socioeconomic: environmental justice populations, cemeteries
- Coordination and Public Involvement: community characteristics, existing and planned development

## Slide 6

**Notes:**
This is what it looks like

## ‘Pop-Up’ Data Source List

- Provides information about where to obtain data for each consideration on Checklist

## Sacramento Area Council of Governments:RTP Coordination

- Application: regional transportation planning
- Products developed:
- ‘Blueprint’ to coordinate regional land use growth plans and transportation plans
_**‘**__**Greenprint’**_ to coordinate conservation efforts (concept under discussion)
- Program-level environmental analysis of RTP (as required by CA law), called MTP 2035, including mitigation opportunities
- Purpose and Need for projects within MTP 2035

**Notes:**
Note: some of these products are currently in-process or planned, rather than already completed

## Sacramento Region Blueprint

- Used public process to developed map of regionally preferred land use
- Results expected to drive MTP 2035 process
- Will consider results of “Greenprint”

## Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission: LRTP Analysis

- Application: regional transportation planning
- Product developed: evaluation and comparison of alternative transportation system plans

## SEWRPC Comparison Details

- Among system plan alternatives, evaluation compared acreage needed by planned projects that would affect:
- Residential and commercial dislocations
- Historic buildings and sites
- Park lands
- Environmental Corridors
- Other sensitive lands: wetlands, natural areas, geological areas, archeological areas, Department of Natural Resources Legacy Locations, land trusts, prime agricultural lands

## Example of GIS output

**Notes:**
Example of GIS output – this is a map of the regional land use plan

## Houston-Galveston Area Council: Environmental Considerations

- Application: long-range transportation planning
- Products developed:
- Environmental Advisory Committee
- Environmental maps created by GIS-ST screening, for identification of natural areas for conservation
- Mitigation recommendations

## Environmental Mapping

- Uses TxDOT’s GIS-ST model, developed with EPA, other agencies
- Environmental data on: wetlands, habitat, endangered or threatened species, managed lands, floodplains
- Flags regionally significant projects that intersect a GIS-ST grid, 1 mile sq.
- Data will be incorporated into corridor level analyses for the 2040 RTP

## Slide 15

**Notes:**
Example of output from GIS-ST, showing Areas of Concern and other sensitive lands within the region; this information was overlaid with proposed transportation project data to conduct analysis

## Mitigation Activities

- Analysis uses mapping to illustrate which projects might require NEPA mitigation activities and/or are recommended for realignment
- Provides opportunity to examine cumulative environmental impacts collectively within region
- Maps will be supplied to assist sponsors in determining whether their projects may be affected

## Other Relevant Practices?

- Audience participation requested!
- Please volunteer relevant practice – can be oriented to
- Data and analysis tools
- Inter-agency coordination efforts
- Planning processes conducted with environmental considerations