NEW REPORT CALLS FOR CONSERVING THE RICHMOND REGION’S “GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE”

The Green Infrastructure Center and the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
Contact Information:
Karen Firehock, Executive Director, GIC firehock@gicinc.org (T): 434-975-6700, #222                
Sarah Smith, Senior Planner, RRPDC  ssmith@richmondregional.org (T): 804-323-2033

Thursday, July 9, 2009:  The Green Infrastructure Center and the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission are pleased to release a new report Richmond Region’s Green Infrastructure Project.  The report highlights opportunities for conserving the rich “green infrastructure” of the Richmond region. Green infrastructure includes the connected natural systems and ecological processes that provide critical functions, such as rich soils for farming, habitat for wildlife, drinking water storage and filtration and clean air.  Green infrastructure planning entails inventorying both natural and cultural resource assets and identifying opportunities for their protection or restoration.
The report includes maps depicting the region’s green infrastructure resources and an analysis of how development has led to a more fragmented landscape and reduced the size and significance of forest and wildlife habitat. It also showcases opportunities for regional cooperation and conservation. Center Director Karen Firehock explains that, “Just as an individual would want to know their own bank balance before writing a check, the region also needs to know more about its assets so it can make better informed decisions about how and where to grow.” The free regional report is available for download at  http://www.gicinc.org/RichReg.htm.

The regional maps were created through a partnership between the Green Infrastructure Center and the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission. Input from the region’s localities helped to identify the most critical regional resources.  Data supplied by the Virginia Division of Natural Heritage was used to create a base map along with county data.   County representatives worked for several months to identify those resources that cross jurisdictional boundaries, such as significant forests and wildlife corridors, regional trails and water resources. Identifying opportunities to conserve natural resources region wide is critical as Virginia faces unprecedented challenges from growth and development. 

“Many Virginia counties are facing increasing demands for growth so it’s important that they have the best available information for planning for the future,” explained Firehock.  How and where we grow and the decisions about how to conserve our natural assets will be critical to ensuring a high quality of life for residents and companies in the Richmond region.  RRPDC Executive Director Robert Crum commented that “The Richmond Green Infrastructure project will be a useful tool for our member jurisdictions in their efforts to protect and connect the Region’s important green infrastructure resources.  The report provides a comprehensive inventory of these community assets and will serve as a valuable planning resource.” 

The project also includes a detailed pilot study for New Kent County to demonstrate how to advance a green infrastructure approach at a county scale as part of everyday planning.  In New Kent, staff created detailed local asset maps to provide the county with information on critical forests, watersheds, wetlands, working lands and areas important for wildlife conservation to guide the local comprehensive plan and decisions on where and how to grow.  Other localities can follow the New Kent model to create their own unique plans to conserve natural assets while also linking to the regional resources identified in the new report.