1. Green Infrastructure Network Design Analysis Beaufort County, North Carolina

2. Leadership Forum Government Government Local- Beaufort County Land Management Local- Beaufort County Land Management State- NCDENR, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC Wildlife Resources Commission State- NCDENR, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC Wildlife Resources Commission Federal- NRCS, USACE, USGS, Forest Service, EPA, NOAA Federal- NRCS, USACE, USGS, Forest Service, EPA, NOAA Non-profits- TNC, local land trusts Non-profits- TNC, local land trusts For profit- special interest groups, developers For profit- special interest groups, developers Academic- universities, scientists, Sea Grant Academic- universities, scientists, Sea Grant Tribal/Indigenous Tribal/Indigenous

3. Objectives Develop or identify wetlands dataset that categorize high priority wetlands and determine acres of high priority wetlands in Beaufort County Develop or identify wetlands dataset that categorize high priority wetlands and determine acres of high priority wetlands in Beaufort County

4. Objectives Work with research scientists to determine reasonable buffer zone around high priority wetlands interlinking corridors between those wetlands Work with research scientists to determine reasonable buffer zone around high priority wetlands interlinking corridors between those wetlands

5. Objectives Determine significant landowners within buffer zone and establish agreements to protect those properties or minimize impact Determine significant landowners within buffer zone and establish agreements to protect those properties or minimize impact

6. Objectives Educate and assist private landowners and developers to protect and/or mitigate impact to adjacent high priority wetlands Educate and assist private landowners and developers to protect and/or mitigate impact to adjacent high priority wetlands

7. Objectives Assess potential private properties that could be acquired for additional wetlands protection Assess potential private properties that could be acquired for additional wetlands protection

8. Data Quality Assessment Reviewed metadata Reviewed metadata Projection Projection Date Date Source Source Scale Scale Coverage Area Coverage Area Relevance Relevance Assumptions: The data we have is the best data available

9. Data Used NC Counties- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis NC Counties- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis WetlandRatings- NC Division of Coastal Management WetlandRatings- NC Division of Coastal Management NC_MajorHydro- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis NC_MajorHydro- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis Conservation Lands- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis Conservation Lands- NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis Natural Heritage Areas- NCDENR Natural Heritage Areas- NCDENR Parcels_gt20ac- Conservation Fund/Worldview Solutions Parcels_gt20ac- Conservation Fund/Worldview Solutions

10. Analysis Determine extent Determine extent 5 mile buffer around Beaufort County 5 mile buffer around Beaufort County

11. Analysis Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county?

12. Analysis Determine high priority wetlands using WetlandRatings dataset Determine high priority wetlands using WetlandRatings dataset 3 ratings- Beneficial Significance, Substantial Significance, Exceptional Significance 3 ratings- Beneficial Significance, Substantial Significance, Exceptional Significance Based on water quality, hydrology, and habitat Based on water quality, hydrology, and habitat Chose “Exceptional” from WetlandRatings dataset Chose “Exceptional” from WetlandRatings dataset

13. Analysis Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands

14. Analysis Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands 51,591 acres

15. Analysis Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Question 1- How many acres of “high priority wetland resources” currently exist in the county? Buffer high priority wetlands 100 feet- to reduce edge effect Buffer high priority wetlands 100 feet- to reduce edge effect Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands Calculate acreage of high priority wetlands Group adjacent high priority wetlands together Group adjacent high priority wetlands together 51,591 acres

16. Analysis Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future development? Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future development?

17. Analysis Create Hubs Create Hubs Identify adjacent wetlands to include Identify adjacent wetlands to include Adjacent priority 2 wetlands (“Substantial”) that are also greater than 125 acres Adjacent priority 2 wetlands (“Substantial”) that are also greater than 125 acres Adjacent already preserved lands Adjacent already preserved lands Conservation lands Conservation lands Natural Heritage Areas Natural Heritage Areas

18. Analysis Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future development? Question 2- Where should the county develop a “wetlands protection overlay zone” to guide future development? Merge important adjacent wetlands with high priority wetland cores Merge important adjacent wetlands with high priority wetland cores Reclassify NoData to 1 Reclassify NoData to 1 Raster Calculator- Single Map Algebra (Addition) Raster Calculator- Single Map Algebra (Addition)

20. Analysis Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems?

21. Analysis Identify land parcels to include in hub Identify land parcels to include in hub Parcels that intersect any portion of hub Parcels that intersect any portion of hub Determine the percent acreage of each parcel that is covered by the core and hub - Zonal Statistics, Join tables Determine the percent acreage of each parcel that is covered by the core and hub - Zonal Statistics, Join tables

22. Analysis Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Ownership Ownership State, county, city- 1 State, county, city- 1 Forest, real estate- 2 Forest, real estate- 2 Mining, private-3 Mining, private-3

23. Analysis Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Core and Hub percentages Core and Hub percentages 100%- 1 100%- 1 75%-2 75%-2 50%-3 50%-3 25%-4 25%-4

24. Analysis Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Question 3- Which land parcels are most important for continued protection of the county’s wetland systems? Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Suitability Analysis- Rank parcels based on location (core and hub) and ownership Added Core percentage, Hub percentage, and ownership values Added Core percentage, Hub percentage, and ownership values

26. Very High 91 Parcels – 25186 acres High 319 Parcels – 74572 acres Medium 211 Parcels – 33846 acres 211 Parcels – 33846 acresLow 1612 Parcels – 143582 acres

27. Future analysis Rivers and lower priority wetlands- very important for corridor analysis Rivers and lower priority wetlands- very important for corridor analysis