1. “Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it. Whatever we
do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things
are bound together. All things connect.”
Chief Seattle

2. Lisa Riegel: Director, NC Natural Heritage Trust
Fund
Cy Stober: Water Resource Manager, PTRC
Kyle Laird: Mobility and Systems Planner, PART

5. Top Five Strengths
 Community Colleges and Universities
 Farming and Viticulture
 Access to Health Care
 Scenic and Recreational Resources
 Small Town Charm
Top Five Challenges
 A lack of Transportation Choices
 Participating in the “New” Economy
 Abandoned Mills and Employment Centers including strip
shopping centers
 Capitalizing on and Supporting Existing Business Assets
 Healthy Community Design

6.  The region’s natural resources, one of its
strengths, are frequently threatened.
• The development patterns of the last few decades have led to a
loss of wildlife habitat, threats to biodiversity, degraded water
quality, and increased air pollutants. The economic importance of
scenic and recreational resources is often lost in the desire for
more development.
 The Triad is losing working lands (farms and
forestry lands) at an alarming rate; and local
processing and distribution infrastructure is
lacking.
• Forty plus square miles (25,600 acres) of farmland are lost per
year in the region. Some parts of this developed land are rich
with the region’s prime, productive farmland soils. Agriculture is
one of the top economic generators in our region

7. • The built environment shapes
how we live, work, and play
• Transportation and other
“Grey” infrastructure are key
• But Green Infrastructure is
important too!

8. Green infrastructure refers to an interconnected green space network (including
natural areas and features, public and private conservation lands, working lands
with conservation values, and other protected open spaces)
populations.
That is planned and
managed for its
natural resource
values and for the
associated benefits
it confers to
humans.
Riparian Buffers

9. Diverse and healthy ecosystems provide
many important services for humans:
• clean the air
• produce oxygen
• store carbon
• mitigate flooding and other hazards
• protect, filter and recharge water
• decompose and detoxify waste
• generate soils
• provide habitats

10. Provides food and supports crop pollination;
provides timber and other raw materials.
Provides habitats and habitat corridors for plants,
animals and other species.

11. Hanging Rock State Park
Recreational Opportunities
Muddy Creek Greenway
Winston-Salem

14. Open Space and Conservation Lands

16. The Transformation - $65 million
Stream Restoration
• Removed 1,100 ft. of cap
• Purchased 15 acres of floodplain
and removed structures
• Riparian plantings on banks for
stabilization and shading
• Created a Linear Park with
alternative transportation
• Restored the creed and
improved water quality
• Significant economic
development; revitalization of
the area ($300 million+)

17.  $4 for every $1 invested for
ecosystem services*
 Increased property values,
tourism, health benefits
 The Triad’s agribusiness
industry generated gross
revenues of $768 million in
2011
 Timber production in our region
produced $124 million in
revenues in 2010.
 Hunting, fishing, and wildlife
watching brought in $52 million
in Triad revenue and NC
fees/taxes in 2006
*A study of the ROI from the LWCF by TPL

20. No Responses: Not at all aware:
5% 13%
Had heard the
term, but did not
Very familiar know much about
it: 19%
63%
Familiar
Somewhat familiar

21. 84% Enjoy the outdoors
58% Participant in outdoor sports
55% Hiker, outdoorsperson
49% Conservationist
42% Wildlife enthusiast/watcher
18% Fisherman and/or hunter
7% Other (health advocate,
Land steward, animal lover,
Pedestrian advocate, gardener…)

22. 23% live
outside a
municipality
77% live
inside a
municipality
10% Do
not own
land
17% Own
more than
10 acres
47% Own
less than
1 acre
27% Own
1 to 10
acres

23. 35% of rural survey
Do not participants use their own
participate in On their own
outdoor property property for outdoor
More than 10 recreation adjacent to recreation—only 5% of urban
miles their home
survey participants do so.
48% of urban survey
participants usually take part
in outdoor recreation 5 or
more miles from their homes.
Respondents who indicated
they do not participate in
Between 5 5 miles or less
and 10 miles
outdoor recreation, live within
a city or town.

24. Green Infrastructure Assets, Features and Uses Total Rural Urban
Floodplains 93% 91% 93%
Water supply watersheds 93% 94% 93%
Stream buffers 92% 91% 92%
Farms and farm products 90% 91% 85%
Public open space 90% 82% 91%
Clean water for swimming, fishing, boating 90% 85% 88%
Places with prime farmland soils 89% 94% 85%
Stormwater management 88% 88% 88%
Groundwater recharge areas 88% 85% 88%
Wildlife habitat 86% 85% 87%
Constructed stormwater control measures 86% 85% 84%
Lands managed for conservation and biodiversity purposes 85% 76% 86%
Outdoor recreation 84% 85% 85%
Street and neighborhood trees 84% 74% 86%
Biodiversity 83% 82% 83%
Forests/woodlands and forest products 83% 79% 83%
Rare species 77% 71% 76%
Invasive species 75% 74% 76%
Outdoor educational opportunities 71% 71% 69%
Mining natural resources such as fossil fuels, minerals and ores 55% 47% 53%

25. Concepts in the Management of Green Infrastructure Total Rural Urban
Protection of drinking water supplies 99% 97% 98%
Parks, public trails and greenways 96% 91% 95%
Conservation of significant natural features 94% 94% 92%
Using trees & other methods to lessen heat extremes & reduce energy expense 93% 85% 95%
Conservation of agricultural working lands 92% 97% 92%
Protection of important stream/river headwaters 91% 88% 88%
A regional green infrastructure network of agricultural & natural lands & waters 90% 85% 90%
Reduction of surface stormwater runoff entering streams directly 90% 82% 88%
More ag.- & small- business friendly environment to support working lands 87% 88% 88%
Protection of connected natural landscapes & conservation of wildlife corridors 87% 82% 86%
Assisting landowners in natural resources management 86% 79% 83%
Encouraging new development where infrastructure & utilities currently exist 86% 88% 85%
Conservation of species diversity 80% 74% 79%
Having outdoor recreation opportunities within walking distance of your home 79% 50% 85%
Guidelines for non-ag development in areas of prime soils & land in agriculture 76% 74% 73%
Restricting non-ag development in areas of prime soils & land in agriculture 74% 74% 72%
Encouraging development & extending urban services & utilities into rural areas 28% 26% 26%
The extraction of materials by mining, dredging and quarrying 27% 32% 23%
The extraction of fossil fuels in North Carolina 25% 29% 19%

26. 32% Government employee
17% Educator
16% Retired
15% Environmental Professional
15% Business owner
11% Engineering/Design Professional
9% Land-use planner
8% Farmer
7% Health care professional
3% Forester
1% Elected official
1% Real Estate/Dev. Professional
16% Other (nonprofit, volunteer, student, horticulturalist, housewife, writer…)

29. Land-Of-Sky COG
Linking Lands Model

30.  Uses GIS assessments which identify, evaluate and prioritize
important natural resources required to maintain healthy and
sustainable ecosystems

31.  Uses GIS assessments which identify, evaluate and prioritize
important natural resources required to maintain healthy and
sustainable ecosystems
 Guidance and templates
• NCDENR:
 Conservation Planning Tool
 Green Growth Tool Box

32.  Uses GIS assessments which identify, evaluate and prioritize
important natural resources required to maintain healthy and
sustainable ecosystems
 Guidance and templates
• NCDENR:
 Conservation Planning Tool
 Green Growth Tool Box
• Land of Sky Regional Council:
 Linking Lands Project
 Three primary assessments:
• Water Resource Services
• Agricultural
• Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat

33.  Uses GIS assessments which identify, evaluate and prioritize important
natural resources required to maintain healthy and sustainable
ecosystems
 Guidance and templates
• NCDENR:
 Conservation Planning Tool
 Green Growth Tool Box
• Land of Sky Regional Council:
 Linking Lands Project
 Three primary assessments:
• Water Resource Services
• Agricultural
• Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat
• Threats to Green Infrastructure

44.  PTRC Watershed Prioritization
Assessment

53.  NHP CPT Farmland Assessment
http://www.climatechange.nc.gov/pages/ConservationPlanningTool.html

58.  NHP CPT Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat
Assessment
http://www.climatechange.nc.gov/pages/ConservationPlanningTool.html

59.  Uses GIS assessments which identify, evaluate and prioritize important
natural resources required to maintain healthy and sustainable
ecosystems
 Guidance and templates
• NCDENR:
 Conservation Planning Tool
 Green Growth Tool Box
• Land of Sky Regional Council:
 Linking Lands Project
 Three primary assessments:
• Water Resource Services
• Agricultural
• Biodiversity/Wildlife Habitat
• Threats to Green Infrastructure

60.  The more input, the better

61.  The more input, the better
 Survey results will be
input into the Linking
Lands model

62.  The more input, the better
 Survey results will be
input into the Linking
Lands model
 Other WG input?

72.  Howdo GI needs integrate with your
needs?

73.  How do GI needs integrate with your
needs?
 How can a GI Network be valuable?

74.  How do GI needs integrate with your
needs?
 How can a GI Network be valuable?
 How do we accomplish our goals?

75.  How do GI needs integrate with your
needs?
 How can a GI Network be valuable?
 How do we accomplish our goals?
 How do we serve everyone in the Triad?

76. Lisa Riegel: Director, NC Natural Heritage Trust Fund
Lisa.riegel@ncdenr.gov
Cy Stober: Water Resource Manager, PTRC
cstober@ptrc.org
Kyle Laird: Mobility and Systems Planner, PART
kylel@partnc.org
www.triadsustainability.org
www.piedmontvoice.org