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HARRISBURG AREA LAND USE PLAN • Modify the plan review process to encourage the preservation of known habitats of important plant and animal species. Development plans should take into consideration the locations of Significant Natural Heritage Areas, identified in the inventory published by the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in 2002, and healthy native forests five to ten acres in size, which provide valuable habitat. Create incentives for avoiding such habitats by offering open space credits for protecting the areas identified in a future Preservation Plan (See Recommendation ENR -6.) and /or in regional conservation plans that delineate a connected system of open space aimed at protecting important habitats and wildlife corridors. For example, a weighted system for achieving open space requirements would place more emphasis —and therefore more credit —on open space that coincides with the areas delineated on the open space plan. (ENR -4) Support the Soil and Water Conservation District's (SWCD) conservation planning efforts to manage all natural resources — soil, water, plants, animals and air — and foster sustainable growth in the Harrisburg planning area. ■ Revise local ordinances to protect soils officially designated as "prime farmland" soils and "farmland of statewide importance" soils. ■ Define, identify, and preserve the planning area's most ecologically sensitive lands. ■ Restrict mass grading, particularly on steep slopes. • Integrate water quality into planning efforts by coordinating road building and other construction projects with water resource management activities. Invest in research and analysis of the impact of development on water resources, and make this information accessible. • Sign up all eligible degraded streams for enhancement and /or restoration with state Ecosystem Enhancement Program funds and encourage stream restoration and enhancement projects. Incentivize landowner participation through enhanced conservation subdivision standards. (ENR -5) Raise awareness of the value of the lands and features to be preserved. Critical to the success of preservation tools is education. Enlist local schools, neighborhood and civic groups, and other community stakeholders to highlight the value of culturally and naturally significant landscapes to the Harrisburg planning area. Locate greenways and multi -use trail routes to capitalize on access to natural features and viewsheds in the Harrisburg planning area. (Non- motorized transportation facilities offer minimally intrusive access to features.) These facilities could be designed and supplemented with interpretive resources to raise awareness of the presence of important characteristics to infrequent users. PART VI: RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AUGUST 2010 Attachment number 1 G -1 Page 376