repi and optimizing offsite mitigation

SAN RAFAEL • SAN DIEGO • DENVER • FORT BRAGG www.wra-ca.com (415) 454-8868 1

(415) 454-8868 SAN RAFAEL SAN DIEGO DENVER FORT BRAGG

Optimizing Off-Site Land Protection: Achieving Mitigation while Reducing Encroachment

http://www.wra-ca.com/



http://bit.ly/16cfWVU


Partnerships through Mitigation

• Multiple ways to work together – Mitigation and Conservation Banks

– Single-user Banks

– Permittee Responsible Mitigation

– Recovery Crediting

– Mitigation Planning

• Shared costs and risks, creative financing, external due diligence and manpower

• Cost effective to pool mitigation at banks

– Ecosystem and multi-species approach

– Multiple credit types under multiple regulatory programs






Challenges

• Most permitting and construction timelines do not allow for optimal mitigation

MILCON appropriations 5 years,

O&M 1 year

2 to 7 years for bank approval

Credits released overtime






Guidance

• Watershed approach – 2008 Compensatory Mitigation Rule

– Continuation of functions over

time in changing landscape

– Important species

– Habitat loss and conversion trends

– Sources of watershed impairment

– Current development trends






Guidance

• 2003 USFWS guidance on Conservation Banking

– Recovery Plans

– Reduce habitat loss and fragmentation

– Conserve population

– Surrounding land-use






Guidance

DoD Instruction 4715.03

• Readiness, sustainability, cost-

effectiveness

• Integration with recovery goals

• Multiple species/ ecosystems

• Watershed-based approach

• Off-site banking through sound conservation planning






Site Optimization Model






Suitability Analysis

What is a suitability analysis?

– Combines datasets to

identify the best locations for an activity

– Allows for preference to be given to particular site conditions






Suitability Analysis

• Datasets are selected based on the objectives

• Each dataset is ranked based on optimal conditions for purpose(s) and converted to raster

• Each raster is weighted based on importance

• ArcGIS Spatial Analyst Weighted Overlay or Weighted Sum

• Single raster output identifying priority areas and parcels






Location of Study Area

To demonstrate how the tool works, this is a hypothetical study area of a 25 mile buffer around an imaginary military installation south of Sacramento.






Model Builder






Model Builder

Included Data Layers: Species occurrence Historical Impacts Existing mitigation supply

Housing Density Critical Habitat Land Cover






Species Occurrence

cnddb_1

Value

0

5






Existing mitigation supply is relevant when considering where to site additional mitigation projects. A service area is the geographic area in which a bank is approved to provide mitigation credits. This graphic shows the various service areas overlapping our study area. Again, we took a very simple approach here and simply looked at the number of available service areas and ranked the areas underrepresented by banks as a higher value. Typically, banks will have separate service areas per resource or credit type which you would want to tease out. Also, the banks may be a different stages of development and the available credits can vary dramatically. This shows you thought he type of analysis that can be done to look at what banks already service the installation.

Approved Banks






Approved Banks

Legend

Study Area

Name

Burdell Ranch Mitigation Bank Service Area

Clay Station Bank Service Area

Elsie Gridley Overall Service Area

North Suisun Mitigation Bank Service Area

Van Vleck Mitigation Bank Service Area

Cosumnes Mitigaton Bank Service Area






Mitigation Supply

Legend

bank_supply_1

Value

1

2

3

4

5






Historical Wetland Impacts

Legend

orms_1

Value

0

1

2

3

5

For private bank sponsors, the decision of whether to invest in a commercial bank is largely based on analysis of supply and demand. The Corps permit tracking database allows us to calculate where acres of impacts have been the highest by sub-watershed.






Historical Wetland Impacts

Legend

orms_1

Value

0

1

2

3

5






Housing Density

Legend

housing

Value

1

2

3

4

5

Housing density is a measure of encroachment. In this example, we looked only at the housing density for 2030 but we could have looked at trends in changing density. To further address encroachment other datasets for consideration are:

• Population growth • Future land use maps • Zoning • Access to amenities






Housing Density

Legend

housing

Value

1

2

3

4

5






Critical Habitat

cnddb_1

Value

0

5

Our study area contained designated critical habitat for Delta Smelt, vernal pool fairy shrimp, California tiger salamander, and california red-legged frog. These species were given priority.






Critical Habitat

cnddb_1

Value

0

5






Calveg

Legend

calveg_1

Value

1

2

3

4

5

5

Finally, Calveg provided data on land cover and vegetation and we ranked it based on the best opportunities for wetland restoration, though we could have ranked it for differing habitat requirements.






Calveg

Legend

calveg_1

Value

1

2

3

4

5

5






Overall Site Suitability

Legend

ValueHigh : 37

Low : 2






Optimal Parcels

Parcels over 100 acres

High : 37

Low : 2

The output is a catalogue of parcels over 100 acres with a ranking for each input and an overall cumulative score. The score tells us which parcels provide the greatest value for achieving mitigation and encroachment goals. We can also filter the output by ownership to target particular classes.






Optimal Parcels

Parcels over 100 acres

High : 37

Low : 2






Tejon Ranch

Photo credit: TejonRanch.com






Tejon Ranch

Photo credit: TejonRanch.com

Tejon ranch is the largest contiguous private land holding at 270,000 acres. Our work at Tejon Ranch demonstrates how this model can be applied at different scales and in real life. This is an example of where suitability modeling was used to plan development and conservation on the Tejon Ranch.






The Trust for Public Land and Tejon Ranch reached an agreement to acquire 100,000 acres. WRA conducted a conservation planning study to identify most ecologically significant lands. That data was then viewed together with compatible public trails and recreational lands.

A Vision for the Future





Conservation Priorities

• Watershed Integrity

• Biodiversity

• Landscape Connectivity

• Special Status Plants

• Special Status Animals

• Regionally Underrepresented Habitats

Photo credit: Dean Heuber





http://www.pbase.com/deanhueber/image/80291360

http://www.pbase.com/deanhueber/image/80291360


Conservation Priorities

The study was conducted as a stepwise process that identified the conservation priorities and goals. The model was vetted through a science advisory panel to determine weighting and ranking and analysis.

The model was verified and a report was provided.





Example: Tejon Ranch






Cons

• Limited by data availability and quality

• Ranking is subjective

• Site selection is often opportunistic

• Still have to ground truth

• Adaptable to many uses

• Allows you to analyze and visualize multiple datasets at once

• Provides a quantifiable and defensible decision making tool

• Fulfills regulatory requirements for siting

• Facilitates advanced planning

• Optimizes conditions for multiple goals

Pros






Opportunity

• Share information encroachment priorities

– ABUB Zones

– Key encroachment challenges

– Key landowners

• Increase collaboration

– Site mitigation to achieve dual purposes

• Perform advanced planning based on anticipated mitigation and encroachment needs

– Encourage mitigation development in those areas






Questions?

SAN RAFAEL • SAN DIEGO • DENVER • FORT BRAGG www.wra-ca.com (415) 454-8868

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repi and optimizing offsite mitigation

Environment

mitigation credits

mitigation supply legend

mitigation multiple

geographic area

additional mitigation

separate service areas

various service areas

hypothetical study area