Environmental Corridors

Environmental Corridor/Green Infrastructure Planning in the Bay-Lake Region

Environmental corridors (also know as “green infrastructure”) refer to an interconnected green space network of natural areas and features, public lands, and other open spaces that provide natural resource value. Environmental corridor planning is a process that promotes a systematic and strategic approach to land conservation and encourages land-use planning and practices that are good for both nature and people. It provides a framework to guide future growth, land development, and land conservation decisions that accommodate population growth and protect community and natural resources assets.

Reports

Bay-Lake Region Environmental Corridors (September 2005) (PDF - 50 MB)

BLRPC Environmental Corridors Summary Sheet (PDF)

County-Defined Environmental Corridors Summary Sheet (PDF)

Brochures/Mini-Posters (PDFs)

Region Brown County Door County

Florence County Kewaunee County Manitowoc County

Marinette County Oconto County Sheboygan County

Protection Tools

With the many benefits that environmental corridors afford people and communities, implementing environmental corridor protection is recommended to facilitate their preservation. Environmental corridors can be protected through community planning, ordinances, zoning, conservation easements, and public acquisition. Environmental corridor/green infrastructure planning can compliment community planning efforts and conservation goals. The following are examples of tools that can be used to preserve environmental corridors:

Incorporate environmental corridors into the natural resources/environmental chapters of comprehensive plans and conservation goals

Ordinance development (conservation subdivisions or shoreland protection)

Park, open space, and recreational planning

Zoning land for conservation, recreation, or public utility easements

Utilize purchase of development rights or transfer of development rights

Tourism strategies

Viewshed protection

Transportation planning and multi-modal planning

Conservation easement programs

Public acquisition

Environmental corridors are not limited to natural or pristine areas. Environmental corridor planning is often needed in grey infrastructure areas when asphalt and buildings threaten to obliterate the green infrastructure. In developed areas, environmental corridors can be restored to reconnect green spaces.

Landowners can also help preserve and restore environmental corridors by maintaining shoreland vegetation and planting trees along streams. Remove hard surfaces and use nature landscaping and rain gardens to provide water infiltration and recharge aquifers; plant native species and establish non-mowed areas; and install bird and bat houses. Landowners with large property holdings may consider acquiring a conservation easement to protect natural areas while providing some tax relief. Farmers can ensure that their forests and farmlands have management plans that conserve both natural and economic resources.

For more information about environmental planning in the Bay-Lake Region, please contact

Angela Pierce, Natural Resources Planner, at the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission.

Phone: (920) 448-2820
Email: apierce@baylakerpc.org