Overview
Water resources are essential to environmental protection. They provide habitat and other natural systems services. They provide protection against flooding and storm surge. By creating generous zones of protection around wetlands, development patterns can be shaped in more sustainable patterns. Because watersheds often transgress municipal boundaries, watershed protection initiatives can be leveraged to build inter-municipal cooperation around a larger set of smart land use policies.
Water resources are essential to environmental protection. They provide habitat and other natural systems services. They provide protection against flooding and storm surge. By creating generous zones of protection around wetlands, development patterns can be shaped in more sustainable patterns. Because watersheds often transgress municipal boundaries, watershed protection initiatives can be leveraged to build inter-municipal cooperation around a larger set of smart land use policies.
Tools and Actions
-
Municipal Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Resource Protection section to include wetlands and watershed protection objectives.
See Plan -
Watershed and Wetlands Planning
Local wetlands plans and local watershed plans can set out targeted policies. For wetlands, a special natural resource ordinance can be written. Counties can create their own wetlands and watershed plans. Wetlands and watershed regulations can limit the kinds and locations of uses near wetlands or within watersheds including development and site plan requirements. Counties can review development proposals near water resources for conformance with their own wetlands and watershed plans and regulations.
See Plan -
Critical Environmental Area Designation
"Critical environmental or conservation areas can be mapped over wetlands and
See Plan
watersheds."
-
Basic Zoning
Basic zoning can control bulk, area, setback, and use requirements within wetlands and watershed areas.
See Tool -
Watershed Protection
"Special overlay zoning districts can be mapped over water resources and include
See Tool
special regulations for their protection." -
Subdivision Regulations
"Subdivision and site plan regulations can include provisions for protecting
See Tool
wetlands and watersheds." -
Site Plan Regulations
Subdivision and site plan review can include wetlands and watershed protection.
See Tool
-
Conservation Advisory Council and Natural Resource Inventory
For wetlands, local wetlands control commissions can review development proposals for impacts.
See Action -
Conservation Easements and Land Trusts
Conservation easements and land trusts can preserve wetland areas and critical parcels within watersheds.
See Action -
SEQRA
SEQRA (NY State) can establish critical environmental or conservation areas and mandate avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures near wetlands and within watershed areas.
See Action -
Conditional Approvals
Conditional approvals near wetlands or within watershed areas can include variances and special permits pursuant to protection measures.
See Action -
Intermunicipal Agreements
Inter-municipal coordination will probably be necessary for watershed planning and protection.
See Action