Community Engagement in Conservation Planning within the Inner Ring Suburbs of Baltimore Wink Hastings, RLA National Park Service Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program Barbara L. Hopkins, JD, ASLA Executive Director NeighborSpace of Baltimore County, Inc.

CONTEXT- Chesapeake Bay Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Mapping Valued Resources CONTEXT- Mapping Valued Resources Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Community Conservation CONTEXT- Community Conservation Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Mission of promoting more livability communities by protecting and improving land within the URDL embraces 3 goals: Improving the health, welfare & cohesiveness of communities within the URDL 1. Social 2. Environmental Improving environmental quality, protecting habitat, & reducing the effects of fragmentation 3. Economic Enhancing property values, reducing exposure to pollutants and environmental degradation, & improving efficiency of environmental services Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Environmental Goal Maps Results Necessary to Achieve Goal Criteria (GIS Layers) for Conservation Land That Will Achieve the Objectives Objective B Conserving land to protect habitat &/or reduce fragmentation EXISTENCE OF CORE HABITAT POTENTIAL FOR WETLAND CREATION OR EXPANSION PROXIMITY TO NATURAL LANDS NETWORK SUITABILITY FOR REFORESTATION Objective A Conserving land to improve air & water quality BURIED STREAMS OR STORMWATER OUTFALLS HARDENED SHORELINES SUITABLE FOR REMOVAL PROXIMITY TO TRIBUTARIES & VEGETATED BUFFERS Environmental Goal Improving environmental quality, protecting habitat, & reducing the effects of fragmentation Background Mission Stakeholders Objectivea & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Resulting Criteria (Layer) Weights Using Pairwise Comparison to Rank the Criteria for Objective B, “Conserving land to protect habitat and reduce fragmentation” Rating Scale A. PROXIMITY TO NATURAL LANDS NETWORK B. POTENTIAL FOR WETLAND CREATION OR EXPANSION C. EXISTENCE OF CORE HABITAT A.PROXIMITY TO NATURAL LANDS NETWORK Strongly Prefer 3 Prefer 2 Somewhat Prefer 1 Equal A,3 C,3 Resulting Criteria (Layer) Weights C,3 Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Actual Pairwise Comparison Questionnaire and Results for Objective B PARAMETER NEIGHBORSPACE SCORES STAKE-HOLDER COMBINED SCORES ENVIRONMENTAL GOAL Improving Environmental Quality, Protecting Habitat, and Reducing the Adverse Effects of Fragmentation 0.3465 0.4690 0.4158   Objective B: conserve land to protect habitat and/or reduce fragmentation 0.4042 0.5064 0.4620 -existence of core habitat 0.2791 0.0887 0.3025 -potential for expansion/creation of tidal wetlands 0.2904 0.6584 0.3106 -proximity to natural lands network 0.4304 0.2529 0.3868 Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

From Pairwise Comparison to GIS Maps Via a Linear Weighted GIS Model c1= GIS layer for criterion 1 GIS Map Results = {(c1) (w1) + (c2)(w2) +(c3)(w3) ….} w1= Weight for criterion 1 Where The Model = {(existence of core habitat)(.3025) + (proximity to natural lands network) (.3868) ….} GIS Map Results The Results Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Calibrating the Map Layers: Development of Metrics High: Including & Adjacent to Moderate: Within 200 ft Low: Within 300 ft of wetland High: Within network Moderate: Adjacent Low: Within ¼ mile Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

Background Mission Stakeholders Objectives & Criteria Ranking / Weighting Maps

For More Information: Barbara L. Hopkins, JD, ASLA Executive Director NeighborSpace of Baltimore County Barbara@neighborspacebaltimorecounty.org 443-377-3760 Wink Hastings, RLA National Park Service at the Chesapeake Bay Program Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program WHasting@chesapeakebay.net 410-260-2481 Web Page on the Conservation Planning Effort (and a copy of this presentation) http://www.neighborspacebaltimorecounty.org/openspaceplanning.html