PROJECT: 25-33-040 - Environmental Planning
| Responsible Agency: | Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission |
|---|---|
| Program Coordinator: | Christopher Linn |
| Project Manager(s): | Amy Verbofsky, Emily Goldstein, Karin Morris, Melat Musie, Shawn Megill Legendre |
| Supports LRP Goals: |
Goals:
This program provides leadership to the region on the development and implementation of strategies that maintain healthy ecological systems, improve water quality, manage risks posed by natural hazards, build healthy communities, reduce pollution, promote environmental justice in marginalized communities, protect open space, and provide access to parks and outdoor recreation opportunities for all. This program supports the goals of Connections 2050 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
This program supports NJDOT MPO Planning Priorities by promoting accessibility, sustainable mobility and transportation choices; by working to achieve consistency with the principles of the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan; by working with willing county and municipal partners to integrate transportation and land use to promote community livability and maximize the efficiency of the transportation system; and by incorporating environmental stewardship principles into transportation investments.
The program supports PennDOT’s MPO Planning Priorities by identifying livability and sustainability strategies to tie the quality and location of transportation facilities to broader opportunities; and by supporting the environmental review process and PennDOT Connects.
Description:
Staff will lead planning efforts to maintain and improve environmental quality, promote environmental justice, mitigate natural hazards, preserve open space, enhance and increase access to parks and natural areas, and distribute environmental burdens and benefits equitably across the region. Planning projects will focus on topics such as land use, water quality, storm water management, green infrastructure, hazard mitigation, community forestry, open space preservation, and parks and passive outdoor recreation including multi-use trails.
Staff will coordinate and facilitate discussion among partners, analyze and share data, provide technical assistance, and build upon efforts to support land conservation, climate change resilience, water quality improvements, green infrastructure, and sustainability initiatives through projects, programs and plans. Staff will also support implementation actions and policies to further regional environmental goals in consultation with planning partners. To the degree appropriate for a given task or project, work will be approached in an integrated way, drawing on staff expertise across DVRPC offices and partner agencies to best achieve desired outcomes.
Staff will participate on grant review committees and evaluate PENNVEST candidate projects and PECO Green Region applications, as requested.
Staff will work with Woolwich Township officials to develop a Farmland Preservation Plan.
Staff will provide guidance to stakeholders that minimize and mitigate the impacts of transportation infrastructure on environmental resources, including but not limited to water quality, rare species habitat, and cultural and historic resources. Data gathered and tools developed may be used to strengthen the linkages between environmental stewardship and transportation investments, and streamline the environmental review process.
Staff will develop a guidance document for Pennsylvania municipalities seeking to establish or bolster local open space preservation efforts by means of an Earned Income Tax (EIT). The proposed guidance document will provide information concerning the benefits, challenges and mechanics of establishing an open space EIT, include case studies citing specific examples of open space EIT efforts in the region, and serve as an informational and promotional resource.
Staff will support the development of an Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI) for eleven municipalities along the tidal Delaware River in Burlington County by providing spatial and tabular data sets needed to prepare the ERI. The towns are working with the New Jersey State Planning Commission to achieve regional State Plan Endorsement, and the ERI is a required element.
To support the regional long-range plan, Connections 2050, staff will formulate goals and strategies, provide data and spatial analysis, assess the environmental impacts of transportation projects, and identify mitigation opportunities. Other agency-wide projects supported by this program will include Tracking Progress and PennDOT Connects.
Information about work completed in this program area will be updated on the website, as needed. Completion of tasks in this program may require the purchase of equipment or services.
Tasks:
- Prepare a guidance/overview document for PA municipalities seeking to establish or bolster local open space preservation efforts by means of an Earned Income Tax (EIT).
- Provide spatial and tabular data to support a multi-municipal Environmental Resource Inventory for Burlington County municipalities along the Delaware River corridor.
- Review and evaluate applications for federal and state funding programs as necessary.
- Maintain the locally-funded open space programs inventory, database and webpage.
- Update the existing (2020/2021) protected open space lands inventory.
- Provide data and technical assistance, and facilitate coordination of open space preservation activities, as needed.
- Assist with regional trails data and regional facilitation, as needed.
- Develop data and metrics for Tracking Progress.
- Support the environmental and land use components of Connections 2050 v2.0 including outreach, strategy development, mapping and text.
- Evaluate candidate transportation projects for PennDOT Connects and the NJ Capital Program Screening process.
- Review and provide recommendation letters for PENNVEST candidate projects, as requested.
- Evaluate and rank PECO Green Region applications, as required.
- Support production of the Woolwich Township Farmland Preservation Plan.
- Provide technical assistance to and coordinate efforts among municipalities around water quality, green infrastructure, climate resilience, environmental justice, and sustainability initiatives.
- Provide support for environmental meetings and convenings, as needed.
Products:
- Spatial and tabular data for Burlington County municipalities along the tidal Delaware River seeking to complete an environmental resource inventory.
- Guidance document/case studies for municipalities seeking to establish an Earned Income Tax for open space preservation.
- Updated map, tables, and webpage for locally-funded open space programs.
- Update protected open space lands inventory.
- Data and tables on open space preservation and water quality for Tracking Progress
- Updated text, tables and maps for Connections 2050.
- Woolwich Township Farmland Preservation Plan
- Meeting materials including notes, maps, and presentations.
- Updated OCE webpages.
Beneficiaries:
Member governments, state and federal agencies, municipal officials, nonprofits, and residents.
Project Cost and Funding:
| FY | Total | Highway PL Program | Transit PL Program | Comprehensive Planning | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $314,500 | $259,500 | $55,000 | ||
| 2024 | $334,500 | $334,500 | |||
| 2025 | $367,000 | $364,500 | $2,500 |