Pennsylvania Code › Title 25 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Part I - Department of Environmental Protection › Subpart A - Preliminary Provisions › Article I - Administrative Provisions › Chapter 9 - ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN › Subchapter D - POLICIES FOR NATURAL AREAS › GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 9.302 - Value

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) Natural areas
						  provide scientific sites for the research needs of present and future
						  generations. Many natural areas have the natural quality to serve as baseline
						  study areas for monitoring environmental changes of other ecosystems and for
						  analyzing cause and effect relationships. These sites serve as a basis for
						  assessing the effects of pollutants, measuring the accumulation of pesticides,
						  herbicides, and toxic agents in the environment, and evaluating the effects of
						  timber management practices and the impacts of urban development.
(b) It is becoming increasingly important
						  that a wide range of wild plant and animal species should be preserved for
						  their potential utility as breeding stock to improve the genetic linkage of
						  domestic species, as predators and parasites for biological control, as
						  potential resources for industrial, pharmaceutical, and agricultural purposes,
						  and for other uses yet unknown to man. New improvements in science and
						  technology may some day enable man to tap now undiscovered values that these
						  species possess. Natural areas can provide the environment for the
						  proliferation of natural diversity and protection of gene pools.
(c) Natural areas inherently maintain quality
						  air and water resources, facilitate aquifer recharge, minimize soil erosion and
						  enhance soil fertility, and influence micro-climate extremes. Translated into
						  human benefits, natural areas often can provide limited, but critical, aid in
						  flood control and in reducing flood damages, in conserving soil resources and
						  reducing stream siltation, and in maintaining assimilative capacities of air
						  and water resources.
(d) In recent
						  years, there has been an effort to broaden the scope of educational programs to
						  give added emphasis to the relationship between man and his environment. A key
						  element in achieving this educational goal is to have accurate data gained from
						  natural areas to illustrate the functioning of natural processes in undisturbed
						  ecosystems. Since this learning process is aided by onsite classes, the
						  knowledge of essential elements will enable educators to locate and use for
						  class purposes unprotected sites with similar features adequate for educational
						  purposes.
(e) Those natural areas
						  more tolerant to human disturbances provide an environment for leisure pursuits
						  such as hiking, bird watching and nature study. An uncounted but probably great
						  offsite value accrues to many citizens from the awareness that there exist
						  areas where elements of natural diversity and heritage are preserved.
(f) Natural areas are an important component
						  of the existing land use in this Commonwealth and can be determinants for
						  guiding future growth and development in many areas. The incorporation of
						  natural areas in the decision making process aids in planning for more
						  environmentally sensitive land use patterns.