HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 20 2018 PC MinutesM
Albemarle County Planning Commission
November 20, 2018
The Albemarle County Planning Commission held a public hearing on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, at
6:00 p.m., at the County Office Building, Lane Auditorium, Second Floor, 401 McIntire Road,
Charlottesville, Virginia.
Members attending were Tim Keller, Chair, Pam Riley, Vice Chair, Daphne Spain, Bruce Dotson, Jennie
More, Karen Firehock and Julian Bivins. Absent was Luis Carrazana, LIVA representative.
Other officials present were Andrew Gast -Bray, Assistant Director of Community Development/Director
of Planning; David Hannah, Natural Resource Manager; Sharon Taylor, Clerk to the Planning
Commission; and Andy Herrick, Deputy County Attorney.
Call to Order and Establish Quorum
Mr. Keller called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and established a quorum.
The meeting moved to the next agenda item.
From the Public: Matters Not Listed for Public Hearing on the Agenda
Mr. Keller invited comment from the public on other matters not listed on the agenda. Hearing none,
the meeting moved to the next item.
Consent Agenda
Approval of Minutes: September 25, 2018
Mr. Keller asked if any members wished to pull an item.
Ms. Firehock said she was not present at that meeting and would abstain from the vote.
Mr. Bivins moved, Ms. Spain seconded to approve the consent agenda, which was approved by a vote of
6:0 (Ms. Firehock abstained).
Work Session
CPA 2018 00007 Natural Resource Chapter updates (Biodiversity)
Mr. Keller asked for the staff report.
Mr. David Hannah, Natural Resources Manager for Albemarle County, presented and stated that this
was a potential amendment to the Comprehensive Plan for components of biodiversity. He summarized
his report agenda: brief review of actions taken to date, process moving forward, discussion of
structured format to amend the Comprehensive Plan, and discussion and Commission input on
proposed amendments. He noted that Ms. Firehock had posed some questions about proposed new
strategies, which he said he would address, as needed. He reminded the Commission that Objective 4 of
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strategies, which he said he would address, as needed. He reminded the Commission that Objective 4 of
the current Comprehensive Plan stated that they should protect the biological diversity and ecological
integrity of the rural and development areas of the County as well as an action plan for biodiversity to
protect significant areas of biological importance. He noted that once completed, the plan would be
presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption to the Comprehensive Plan.
Mr. Hannah recognized that staff had worked with the Natural Heritage Committee and completed the
Biodiversity Action Plan in June, with a presentation of the plan to the Planning Commission on June 19,
followed by Board of Supervisors endorsement at its July 5 meeting. He reminded the Commission that
on September 4, it had adopted a resolution of intent to amend the Comprehensive Plan and a
proposed timeline. He presented a slide with the proposed timeline, noting that it was in Attachment B:
Proposed Timeline for Comprehensive Plan Anrendmeut Process
to Incorporate Key Aspects of the Biodiversity Action Plan
DATES ACTION,
August - September 2018 Planning Conmrnission adopts a Resolution of Intent to amend the
Comprehensive Plan
September - October 2018 Staff preparation of specific language for consideration
October 2018 Process to engage public. receive input
November 2018 - January 2019 Work sessions with Plannu12 Conuiussion
March 2019 Public Hearing with Planning Connnnission
April - May 2019 Work sessions with Board of Supervisors
June 2019 Public Hearing with Board of Supervisors
Mr. Hannah reported that the public engagement process would begin in October and they had been on
schedule, and a public meeting was scheduled for November 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the County Office
Building. He informed commissioners of an online survey to enable citizens to express their opinions
about the 13 individual strategies and said there had already been 25 respondents.
Mr., Hannah mentioned that he had participated in an interview on radio station WINA yesterday and
that the station also had links to the plan on its website, which he hoped would draw some traffic and
attention. He said he would like to conduct work sessions with the Planning Commission and Board of
Supervisors in early 2019 to finalize intent, wording and structure, followed by public hearings. He said
he expected to provide an update on the public engagement process to the Commission in January and
hoped to have the work completed before June 2019.
Mr. Hannah next reviewed the format to amend the Comprehensive Plan. He recommended that the
materials of the Biodiversity Action Plan, including the report, executive summary, appendices and
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maps, be included in the reference documents section of the Comprehensive Plan and therefore not be
a part of the Comprehensive Plan. He recommended that revisions and text be made to the body of the
Natural Resources Chapter, Objective 4. He asked commissioners for their thoughts.
Mr. Keller commented that it seemed to him they would want to institutionalize the new format for the
annual report that had measures, as this was a sub -part of an annual update and an example of how the
Comprehensive Plan was working. He suggested that they add a third bullet that applied to this.
Ms. Spain remarked that she thought this was Strategy 4M, Develop Indicators and Monitor Data, but
said it was worth calling out separately.
Ms. More asked for clarification of Strategy 4E, Revise the Criteria for ACE and ACEA. She asked if this
works in conjunction with these groups for the criteria and the way they assess properties.
Mr. Hannah replied that this was very much the case, and the committees would have to approve
anything they proposed.
Ms. More recognized that they were doing deed revisions for ACEA and asked if this would be more of
how properties would score and receive considerations and benefits added to the screening process.
Mr. Hannah confirmed this, pointing out that one single criterion tried to address biodiversity but was
inadequate.
Ms. Firehock pointed out that the Biodiversity Action Plan was more extensively mapped, whereas
`'iw, before there were just sites that the committee had visited — but with the use of modeling, they had
now modeled many more significant areas of the County. She said that there was now more of a
countywide approach to the analysis, whereas this tool or data was not available before.
Mr. Hannah noted that the current criteria did not include natural heritage sites — only DCR natural
heritage sites. He said it was very limited and that properties rarely got points for biodiversity values.
Mr. Herrick interjected that the purpose was twofold: to expand opportunities for properties to receive
biodiversity points, and to provide more specificity. He said the current language in the County Code to
give points for biodiversity was fairly limited and the thought was to make a new proposal that would
expand that, which would require an ordinance amendment to be approved by the Board of
Supervisors.
Mr. Hannah surveyed the Commission for consensus on the format for revising the Comprehensive Plan
and reference documents. He recognized their agreement.
Mr. Hannah invited comments, questions and feedback.
Mr. Dotson suggested that they include ACEA on the schedule slide as one of the groups to be engaged
during the process.
Mr. Hannah noted that they had already had a meeting with the ACE Committee to set that motion in
place and can reach out to ACEA as well.
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Mr. Keller suggested that they also add agricultural and forestal districts.
Ms. Firehock addressed Strategy 4L: Retain a Staff Member with Conservation Biology Specialties. She
asked if this person was Rep.
Mr. Hannah replied that it was himself. He said Rep was with the Department of Facilities and
Environmental Services, inspected stormwater facilities, had a keen interest in non-native plants, and
had branched out beyond his job duties.
Ms. Firehock asked Mr. Hannah if he was involved in site review.
Mr. Hannah replied that he was involved on a very limited basis. He said they had a flag layer so that if a
project came through that required legislative action, the County's important sites, riparian buffers,
steep slopes adjacent to streams in the rural areas, possible wetlands, and a few other things. He said
they conducted a weekly GIS comparison so that any ZMAs or special uses that overlapped one of those
special sites in the flag layer would be noted, and he would work with those conducting the project
review — as well as applicants, if needed, to make them aware of available resources and conflicts.
Ms. Firehock noted that these were not specifically biodiversity or habitat issues.
Mr. Hannah replied that they often were because the important sites the County's Natural Heritage
Committee had identified overlapped with DCR natural heritage sites and were part of the flag layer. He
continued that if they knew of sites that were important for habitat or biodiversity, they were in that
flag layer.
Ms. Spain stated that it would seem to her that there was a much more expanded map of habitat cores
that were in addition to the sites the committee had visited, and the flag layer would be expanded to
include all of that.
Mr. Gast -Bray replied that he was not sure of the timing of that because it had to be endorsed as part of
that and was part of the process.
Ms. Spain remarked that this was not necessarily a legislative act but a question of when Mr. Hannah
was asked to weigh in.
Mr. Gast -Bray confirmed this.
Mr. Hannah remarked that they hadn't discussed this, but they certainly had to.
Ms. Spain remarked that when she worked with the committee as a liaison, it was her understanding
that this was what they were heading towards. She said that the reason why they were working on
modeling the County was because they didn't have 50 biologists to fan out and cover every inch, so they
modeled those landscapes most likely to support high biodiversity. She stated that this work had been
done and was in the report. She emphasized that this should be part of the flag layer, not simply
whether there was a wetland or stream, and said she was not sure what it took administratively to make
sure this was happening.
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Mr. Gast -Bray responded that it would be basically to get that endorsed in this process.
Ms. Spain replied that she endorsed it. She said they were all concerned with how these ideas and goals
were going to be implemented, which was the most important part of the process.
Mr. Hannah remarked that the flag review process was put in place before he was hired. He said that
some of the important sites that the County Natural Heritage Committee had identified were not part of
that flag layer, as they were deemed to not be important enough to be flagged. He noted that the
Southern Albemarle Mountains site was a large site of 21,000+ acres, and a judgment was made to not
include this as part of the flag layer because it would be meaningless in terms of project review.
Ms. Firehock commented that it was a large area and they were trying to preserve that corridor and had
a development plan that needed to be reviewed by the Planning Commission, and it blocked wildlife
passage, but with some manipulation it could be laid out such that the corridor was maintained — and
those were the opportunities they want to start realizing; otherwise, they would continue to map
fragmentation. She added that the education of landowners was part of what the plan did.
Mr. Gast -Bray replied that it was the education process and public outreach by which it was embraced
and endorsed. He invited the County Attorney's Office to weigh in.
Ms. Firehock added that it's really just saying, "Let's pay attention to this." She recalled that when she
first sat down with Elaine Echols, they talked about the idea of connectivity and she pulled out several
master plans and remarked that she was sure they connected. Ms, Firehock said that plan after plan had
green space trapped in the middle or the corner, and something quite significant was lopped off
because the site plan didn't realize it was actually a key corridor running through the site. She stated
that the effort to get this mapped was to get them to the point where they didn't make these mistakes
because of not seeing the bigger picture.
Mr. Gast -Bray agreed. He emphasized that she could always ask if something came forward and was
flagged, even if they hadn't officially adopted a particular map to say they shouldn't develop there.
Ms. Firehock remarked that she had taught master naturalists and had heard a classic comment such as,
"You're saying I shouldn't drive my road deep into the middle of my parcel and clear a big area in the
middle; if I brought my development a bit forward, I can conserve this intact corridor." She said her
response had been to confirm this and said this was an example of landowners changing the
development plan with education rather than regulation. She commented that this was the kind of thing
they were seeking.
Mr. Gast -Bray agreed.
Ms. Riley asked for more explanation on Strategy 4C and how they would prioritize the identification of
the present biodiversity and what practices they would change.
Mr. Hannah replied that he didn't want to get really prescriptive in the Comprehensive Plan but wanted
to use some examples that dealt with treating the landscape differently, such as having a more natural
landscape that was not mowed or highly maintained. He said this would save money, hopefully support
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biodiversity, and that any County lands would be open to this — including schools, parks, and
,. miscellaneous parcels. He said the parks could be a great opportunity if they could come up with park
management plans that did simple things like finding areas where mowing should not be done. He
described prescribed burning as a great management tool that was very labor and resource intensive,
but once instituted could help biodiversity and present an opportunity to educate the public. He
provided the example of native plants and the combating of non-native plants, which he described as a
huge problem across the landscape and with biodiversity. He said there were other examples, but he did
not want to get into too much detail in the Comprehensive Plan.
Ms. Riley remarked that it made sense to include biodiversity as a criterion and asked if they should
encourage biodiversity for the land use valuation program. She emphasized that some activity or
productivity must be demonstrated to obtain a tax break and asked about promoting pine plantations or
mowing of areas where it didn't need to be. She asked if this was like ACE, where the criteria might
change.
Mr. Hannah responded that they looked at it in general and there were many different opinions on the
land use program. He remarked that agriculture was an income -based measure to determine if land
qualified for agricultural use, and forest land use required that timber be harvested at some point in
time, which constrained management for biodiversity. He said there may be some fertility under the
open space category and they required 20 acres to qualify, with very general criteria and some potential
to lower the acreage threshold. He said that developing specific and measurable criteria that people
could qualify for would contribute to open space and protect natural resources but not require a lot of
staff time to enforce or monitor. He said it could tie into existing programs and encourage people to
develop pollinator habitat, forest for water quality or biodiversity, and savannas or grasslands. He
cautioned that if they went down this path, they needed tight conditions and measurable parameters.
Mr. Herrick added that this program was set by state law and administered by the local tax assessor, and
it was primarily a tax program and not a conservation program. He said that localities didn't have much
latitude to deviate from state standards and it probably was not something that could be done in terms
of making it a criterion for qualification. He emphasized that for those already in the open space
category, this may be an opportunity to encourage the development of biodiversity.
Mr. Hannah added that land use programs in agricultural -forestal districts had a 10-year time limit, and
those that qualified for open space land use often did so under an open space land use agreement that
ran 4-10 years. He remarked that other County programs were not really viewed as conservation
programs; they restricted development but did not actively promote natural resource protection.
Mr. Keller remarked that without countering state regulations, the County had the ability through an
education process to look at those areas. He said that given the Supervisors' concern about the open
space category, which was one the County elected to do under state authority, the educational
component for encouraging biodiversity on those parcels was one of interest, and they could look at the
acceptance criteria for that.
Mr. Herrick clarified that state law specified how one qualified for open space use and that biodiversity
was not one of the criteria. He said it could either be a permanent conservation easement, through an
open space use agreement that lasted from 4 to 10 years, or by enrollment in an agricultural -forestal
district.
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1 ftw Mr. Keller asked for confirmation that there was nothing that said what the County had just elected to
do, and that small parcels of 21 acres and smaller that didn't have a development right was a criterion
the County had elected to make.
Mr. Herrick replied that one way of doing that would be to add an additional qualification before the
Board of Supervisors elected to accept agreements. He said the Board had a very open, liberal policy in
terms of the parcels over which it would accept agreements administratively. He said this policy could
be made stricter wherein the Board didn't just accept any property for an open space use agreement
that met acreage requirements, but it would also have to meet certain other requirements.
Mr. Keller commented that this was his intended direction — not to try to supersede the state enabling
legislation.
Mr. Herrick pointed out that there was nothing that said the Board had to accept every applicant for an
open space agreement but just that the County had impact.
Mr. Keller added that the same was true for agricultural and forestal, where the decision had been made
on the open space with no development rights not to allow those to be placed into the agricultural and
forestal district. He noted that he and Ms. Firehock had challenged that philosophy, as they didn't like
the patchwork but the idea of "as much as possible," so that would be a criterion that could conceivably
allow for smaller parcels to have open space and be brought into ag/forestal in the smaller category.
Ms. Firehock said the state criteria had natural habitat and biological diversity as a criterion for the tax
credit.
Mr. Keller reiterated that this was back to the public education component and how they would take
advantage of that in the process, as well as which entities would review it on a regular basis when new
people were purchasing the properties under these categories or asking to include things.
Mr. Dotson asked if they were still going with categories, and if more remained in the presentation or
they were jumping into the heart of it now.
Mr. Keller replied that they were in the heart of it.
Mr. Bivins addressed Objective 4 and expressed understanding that they start off with a broad
statement that covered the entire objective, but he said he never came away with a reason why they
should do that until the rationale gave him pause. He said the reason was that they consumed products
of natural systems like wood, though he didn't feel this was why they should be doing this. He noted
that he was looking at the edited line version of Attachment C.
Mr. Bivins stated that consumption of wood products from a forest was not a good enough excuse or
rationale for this but was a reason why they should protect a commercial interest, which didn't seem
like what they were doing here. He read an excerpt as follows: "Greatly attribute to the quality of life of
the City and County residents." He asked that they strike the word "City" because they were talking
about a County policy. He said he was trying to understand why they did this and asked that they
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consider a different example that didn't sound like an assumption of products and that had something a
little bit different than a commercial value, which the consumption of wood products sounded like.
Mr. Bivins said it had dawned on him that this was really about education, and he would like it to be
more inviting to those who lived in the developed area, as he felt like what he was reading was pitched
to rural area residents, while those who resided on the fringe or the urban ring were not being invited to
the conversation about the importance of biodiversity. He referred to the part of Strategy 4C, second
paragraph, where Ms. Riley was speaking, and suggested that they replace the word "can" with the
word "should," in terms of the role the County parks played in conserving biodiversity. He said that the
use of the word "can" makes it sound as if they were requesting permission — and if they really wanted
to bring people in, they should use the word "should," as it was aspirational and not a permission
seeking piece.
Addressing Strategy 4M, Mr. Bivins suggested that they be inclusive and invite people who were not
purely in the rural area into the conversation. He suggested that they pivot away from rural area to all of
Albemarle in its blendedness. He concluded, stating that this not be pitched completely to the rural area
and asked that they have something that spoke to why biodiversity was important at large and not just
for consumption pieces.
Ms. Spain remarked that she saw it as an educational tool and something for the development
community. She said that when developers did their due diligence and read the Comprehensive Plan to
understand what they were trying to do, this was going to be part of that in a way that it wasn't before.
She said it was educational for developers in the growth areas and for those who would build by right,
outside the growth area.
Ms. Firehock proposed a strategy that addressed the urban forest within the development area, as the
plan gave the impression that nature was in the rural area and they would develop the development
area without a livable ecology for people and wildlife. She referred to Strategy 4N: Map and Promote
Conservation and Planting of a Diverse, Urban Forest Within the County's Development Area to Create
Healthful Landscapes. She said she had provided her with academic citations for every claim made,
adding that she was trying to get to the notion of protecting clusters of trees whenever they could. She
noted that tree canopy significantly improved air quality, as evidenced by reduced hospital visits for
respiratory distress, and it was well -documented in the literature and needed to be explained as such.
Mr. Gast -Bray agreed and mentioned the heat island effect and stormwater management.
Ms. Firehock added shade and energy savings as additional benefits. She said she didn't want the urban
ring to become like Crystal City.
Mr. Hannah commented that he really liked the concept and said they were not trying to ignore or
downplay the importance of development areas. He said that in presentations and in the Biodiversity
Action Plan, they greatly emphasized that every square inch of the County was important, identifying
the three focus areas, five key ecosystems, and DCR sites. He pointed out that the rural area
represented 95% of the County, which was why a lot of the attention and resources for biodiversity
were in the rural areas.
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Ms. Firehock remarked that the County needed to improve its requirements for how trees were bonded
and how long they were managed and protected. She pointed out that the tops of the trees at
Stonefield died, the tops were cut off so that one couldn't tell, and they were in severe stress and would
not survive long. She pointed out that the trees were monoculture and that the planting of the same
trees all over was not good for biodiversity, pollinators, or survivability. She said that people wouldwant
to continue following their strategy as long as it remained a pleasant place to live with greenery, views,
and places one can walk and feel shaded and safe. She stated that if it became hotter, starker, and less
walkable and safe, then the trend of urban ring development would reverse, and they would lose the
gains they had made.
Mr. Gast -Bray noted that they had talked a lot about that in the Rio/29 process and wanted to address
not only tree canopy but the key connection corridor. He said they backed off and became vaguer until
they had a really good strategy that balanced things out to get the best performance. He said this was
separate from the Biodiversity Action Plan, which also had its priorities. He encouraged commissioners
to suggest strategies for urban development.
Ms. Firehock replied that she had a host of recommendations. She said they were creating a circular city
around Charlottesville and needed to adopt things that a rural county would not necessarily have in
place. She noted that she asked why Piedmont prairies were called out, as they were only found in
disturbed landscape and were an artifact of human intervention.
Mr. Hannah remarked that the existing prairie systems in Virginia were semi -natural military bases, and
frequent fire maintained the grassland system — though this did not mean that they were not here
historically. He said there were smaller examples of these across the landscape, with some powerline
right of ways being an example of diverse grasses and plant communities. He continued that those in
place in central Virginia were semi -natural, as the natural disturbances such as fire and herbivores, and
that existed thousands of years ago such as bison and mastodons, helped keep woodlands, savannas,
and grasslands in place. He said he had spoken informally with some members of the DCR Natural
Heritage Committee and learned that they support the maintaining of prairies and grasslands on smaller
scales, with the use of fire to help maintain them. He noted that it was a place where pollinator habitat
could be created and maintained. He said that much of the closed canopy forest would be open forest if
they had fire on the landscape.
Ms. Firehock suggested that he add a footnote and explanation in the document about this. She
remarked that they were having the same debate about Big Meadows on the Blue Ridge, and the
Institute for Environmental Negotiation was hired to mediate a dispute as to whether to let it go natural,
which would revert to forest, or burn it to keep it open as Native Americans had done for a hunting
ground. She added that a giant fire had burned half of it.
Ms. Firehock asked if there was a difference between locally native and native species and if locally
native distinguished species native to the County versus Virginia as a whole.
Mr. Hannah confirmed her interpretation of native species.
Ms. Firehock suggested that they clarify species that were native to the Piedmont.
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Mr. Hannah noted that some plants were native at the County level, and they didn't have the data for all
plants but should strive for this distinction. He agreed to provide an explanation in the document.
Ms. Firehock asked Mr. Hannah if he had actually seen the question mark butterfly in the County, noting
that it was not showing up on DCR's website.
Mr. Hannah replied that he had not but others had.
Mr. Dotson remarked that people had addressed pitching to different geographic areas and audiences in
the County. He said it seemed to him that people understood pollination of crops — so he would make it
a poster child in a side bar, and the County should undertake education on that so people would realize
that the logic applied more broadly. He remarked that growth area neighborhood residents were
increasingly concerned about deer and bears, and if the Commission said it wanted corridors linking
rural to urban, residents would link these. He said this should be addressed by Mr. Hannah rather than
mounted as a criticism by them.
Mr. Dotson stated that he didn't recall that silviculture was addressed and noted that this was an
activity that took place in the rural area, allowed as normal agriculture under easements, and it would
be wise to head off any potential criticism. He referred to Strategy 4AE, Attachment C, which
encouraged the use of locally native plants. He suggested they add the wording: "...when these (locally
native plants) can satisfy project goals equally or better than other varieties." He said he did not think
they were at a point where they were able to say 80% for County projects, as this sounded heavy
handed. He added that the percentage depended on what the project goals were and he'd like to see
the wording as: "...when these can satisfy project goals equally or better than other varieties."
Mr. Hannah remarked that six strategies were retained, and this was one of them that was not changed
at all from the existing Comprehensive Plan. He noted that the Biodiversity Action Plan was very large,
he was trying to keep the Comprehensive Plan changes and revisions as streamlined as possible, and the
Biodiversity Action Plan could be the reference for some of the information. He agreed that they could
and should beef up as they needed to, but he would like to try to keep things as streamlined as possible.
Mr. Gast -Bray emphasized that they were not rewriting the entire chapter and asked where they would
stop this infusion of a connection to the Biodiversity Action Plan versus when contemplating revision of
the entire part of the chapter. He said that it would be helpful if he had suggestions as to how to balance
that as they move forward.
Mr. Dotson corrected himself and said he was referring to 4GE, not 4AE. He remarked that they were
adding significant language to the strategy and inserting "locally native," and he suggested that they add
the language he had mentioned earlier.
Ms. Firehock remarked that it had a very passive voice. She recounted how she had recently visited
some area nurseries and asked to see native plants, but the representatives were not able to answer
this question. She compared this to nurseries on the eastern shore where native plants had tags
designating them as such, with an eastern shore native campaign and one for the entire state. She noted
that they were behind in the Piedmont, it was hard to do what he was suggesting, and they had used the
verbiage of "striving to plant" rather than "planting."
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Mr. Dotson agreed and posed an example of someone who wanted to establish a rose garden, and they
wouldn't be found in the book of Piedmont native plants. He said they were not saying that rose
gardens were out but were asking them to look at their project goals, and there could perhaps be some
things that could work equally well or even better. He said that to omit this sounded more like a litmus
test than they intended.
Ms. Firehock noted that a lot of the language talked about County projects rather than everyone's
projects.
Mr. Hannah agreed that this strategy said County -owned land and projects.
Mr. Dotson agreed and said it also talked about site development, which would be private property.
Ms. Firehock remarked that if one were planting street trees, a tree non-native to the County might be
chosen for reasons of survivability, as a native tree might not be adapted to survive in a tiny space.
Mr. Keller asked if any members of the public wished to speak.
Mr. Sean Tubbs of the Piedmont Environmental Council addressed the Commission. He said his
organization generally supported the attention given to this important topic. Addressing Mr. Bivins'
question about the "why," he noted that the Board of Supervisors had created a strategic priority on
addressing climate change, with part of this to involve finding ways to support a changing habitat for
existing species and those that might migrate north. He acknowledged that the devil was going to be in
the details, including how to prevent fragmentation and specific tools to use.
Mr. Tubbs stated that the PEC supports continued investment in the ACE program, including efforts to
prioritize easement selection based on habitat protection and other biodiversity issues. He noted that
Strategy 4B referred to the transfer of development rights. He urged caution of the use of the word
"should" in the Comprehensive Plan, as much of this work had already been done, though he said it
would be great to have some of the data in the plan updated and offered to provide this data.
Mr. Tubbs recognized that commissioners had stressed the importance of education and said he
supported the use of County parkland as a model for some techniques. He said that the education
component of proposed Strategy 4J to increase the community's awareness as to why this was
important led him to think about his kids and what they would leave to them. He emphasized that there
were future educational opportunities and that the School Board was working to come up with
internships for the plan. He said there would be many management proposals and much opportunity
there, as the school system sought to increase skill -building internships.
Mr. Keller asked for clarification that in the final one there was no reference to transfer of development
rights.
Mr. Hannah replied that in Section 4B, there was wording that the County should investigate it. He
added that there were strategies in other chapters of the Comprehensive Plan that dealt with the
transfer of development rights and that this was consistent with Strategies 1A and 2G in the rural area
chapter. He emphasized that they were not saying to implement this or go out and do this, but to
research and investigate if it was a good tool applicable to Albemarle County.
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Dr. Manuel Lerdau, University of Virginia Department of Environmental Science, addressed the
Commission. He said he had served on the Natural Heritage Committee for several years and stepped off
just before it began work on the Biodiversity Action Plan. He said he had read through the plan and
suggestions, and everything seemed strong on the whole. Dr. Lerdau said that several comments made
by commissioners tonight were thoughts that he also had, and he would like to refer to three things.
Addressing the notion of prairies and noting that he works on ecosystem diversity, he said this was a
really important system of which there was a growing awareness of its historical importance and
potential current value, particularly in Piedmont systems. He said that if further explanation were
necessary because it was not well known, it was worth doing as these were really important. He noted
that Albemarle had some spots with great potential to be of value both locally and nationally.
Addressing "locally native" and the idea of bringing in plants that were native to Virginia but not to this
region, he recognized that as species ranges shifted and move northward or upward in elevation, it was
an important concept to include in the plan and explain. He addressed Mr. Dotson's point and said he
worried about this and believed it needed to be carefully finessed. He remarked that if the problem to
be addressed was erosion control, then the best remedy was to plant kudzu — at least in the eastern part
of the County. He said he would hesitate to use a phrase as broad as "project goals."
Mr. Bivins addressed a statement about the County's limited resources of information under Strategy
4K. He stated that this contradicted a statement under Strategy 4F about the County's work to identify
sites with specific plant communities that indicated a lot of information had been collected and work
had been completed.
Ms. Firehock expressed agreement and said it should be updated to reflect the Biodiversity Action Plan.
Mr. Keller remarked that it seemed to him there was a tension about productivity of forest lands, by
state regulation. He said that his understanding from foresters was that there were those who were
trying to bring back the eastern deciduous forest, and prairie zones and concentrations of other tree
types could be a component within this — depending on the topography, elevation, and soils in different
parts of the County. He speculated that those within the Department of Forestry who supported this
might agree that it was a 150-year harvest, as opposed to a 15 to 20-year harvest of pines. He said these
were large acreages within the rural part of the County and he didn't see anything that specifically
addressed this.
Mr. Keller characterized this ecosystem of pines as unhealthy, unhappy, and troubled by elements
brought by humans from other parts of the world, stating that it had been damaged by climate change,
which was greatly affecting tree types. He said this was an interesting point for research and thus an
interesting point for education. He added that many were keeping pine but there was not much return
for it, there was a lower land taxation value because of what they were doing, and he would support a
return to what was present historically.
Mr. Keller addressed the policy for the development areas and recognized Mr. Gast-Bray's comments
about getting this through another mechanism. He said this was through stormwater management areas
and areas likely to be canopied as a result of a form -based code requirement, which he speculated could
be privately owned but also become a part of dedicated park land. He said that arborists were looking
ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION — November 20, 2018 12
FINAL MINUTES
for the general good as the County became denser and more populated, and he believed that that fit
within this and asked Mr. Gast -Bray for his view.
Mr. Gast -Bray replied that if they can't include it because of his mandate to have his five major
objectives, they still wanted it for all the reasons Ms. Firehock and others had mentioned. He continued
that there were so many other reasons to do this in the developed area to make it a better, more
connected place, reducing the heat island effect and for other reasons.
Mr. Keller asked Mr. Hannah if he had gotten what he wanted out of this meeting.
Mr. Hannah replied that he felt that he had, though he offered to reach out to commissioners
individually to refine some of their thoughts. He said he wanted to move the process forward and would
relisten to the podcast. He said he had obtained some good ideas from this discussion, though he was
not sure how some of them would fit in with further revision.
Ms. Firehock remarked that maybe they needed to better understand the process, as it was her
understanding that the Planning Commission adopted the Comprehensive Plan and amendments to it.
She asked if the document would come back to the Planning Commission after public input, at which
point they could still amend it.
Mr. Hannah confirmed this.
Ms. Firehock asked Mr. Hannah if he was concerned that he wouldn't have enough time to make the
requested changes before the upcoming public meetings.
Mr. Hannah replied that he did not intend to make changes before the meeting on the 29th but wanted
to gather input, relisten to some of the points made tonight, and incorporate them as they moved
forward. He expressed that it was not clear to him as to the point in the process where they would make
the changes.
Mr. Gast -Bray said they were already touching the statements that were mentioned tonight but didn't
want to imply that they had thought through all the rest of the chapter, and when they were trying to
integrate things, this one was the challenge. He said that all of the points expressed made sense to him
and they were already touching those paragraphs.
Review of Board of Supervisors Meeting — November 14, 2018.
Mr. Gast -Bray reviewed the Board of Supervisors actions taken on November 14, 2018. He said the
Peabody School applicant offered an alternative that was not accepted. He reported that both Avon
Street Extended sidewalk projects that had been approved by the Planning Commission with conditions,
were approved. He said the art studio which had been approved by the Planning Commission was
approved.
Committee Reports
Mr. Keller invited committee reports.
ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION —November 20, 2018 13
FINAL MINUTES
Commissioner More reported:
The Crozet CAC met the previous week with Mr. Hannah presentation about the Water Quality and
Stream Health Improvement Strategies in the Development Area and Captain Darrel Byers presentation
on the geo-policing and the satellite office in Old Trail.
Commissioner Dotson reported:
Mr. Dotson reported on the School Division's Long -Range Planning Advisory Committee meeting. He
presented a map of the County with dots, which he said reflected the origin points for students that
rode County buses. He said he had maps from 2008, 2013, and 2018 and had concluded that, as a result
of the County's growth management policies, the percentage of students living within the urban area
had increased from 51% to 61% over the 10-year period, while over the same time period the
percentage of students in the rural area had declined from 49% to 39%. He said this had allowed for the
consolidation of some routes and the ability to accommodate more students with the same
transportation apparatus they had 10 years ago.
Mr. Dotson reported on the CIP Oversight Committee meeting held earlier that day, which Mr. Gast -Bray
had also attended. He said they had discussed process improvements for CIP development and review,
and the idea of looking long range and then working backwards to assess the need for public facility and
infrastructure components seemed to receive support from Supervisor Rick Randolph, School Board
Chair Kate Acuff, and School Chief Operating Officer Rosalyn Schmidt. He said it was exciting that there
was interest in this idea, though he acknowledged there hadn't been a decision and there was not a
mechanism for how this should be examined.
Commissioner Riley reported:
Ms. Riley reported on the previous week's 5th and Avon CAC meeting. She said they reviewed the
proposal on recommended stream buffer regulations.
Commissioner Spain reported:
Ms. Spain reported on the previous week's Crozet CAC meeting. She said Mr. Hannah had presented on
water quality and stream health improvement strategy in the development area. She said that Captain
Daryl Byers presented on crime, the geo-policing strategy, and the satellite police office in Crozet. She
learned that the police department had volunteers who, upon request, would come by and check on
your house if you were out of town and would also provide a free security assessment.
Ms. Spain reported that Places 29 North had met the previous week and heard a report about the NIFI
project coming to fruition at Baker -Butler School that would extend the path system to make a more
complete circuit around the school grounds.
Ms. Spain reported that the Pantops CAC had met the previous night and was in the final stages of
Master Plan approval, and they had discussed transportation and implementation issues. She remarked
that attendance was lower than usual, though they had a full contingent of CAC members.
Commissioner Bivins reported:
Mr. Bivins provided an update on the University Master Plan Group meeting. He said this included
an update on plans for Fontaine, for which Mr. Carrazana had already updated the Commission. He
said they had discussed development enhancements at Brandon Avenue to create a very
sophisticated student area. He said this would include a wellness center instead of a student health
center, reflecting a proactive preventive approach to student health. He noted that the site was next
to the Lee family cemetery, which the University was being respectful of.
Mr. Bivins reported that they had discussed the swath of land at Emmet Street and Ivy Road, at the
ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION — November 20, 2018 14
FINAL MINUTES
request of the new University president. He said that one of the considerations was how to connect
*,yW„ that to the athletic grounds. He stated that they were considering the construction of connector
bridges over the railroad tracks from the athletic grounds to the middle of the space, as opposed to
using Alderman, to integrate those precincts. He noted that the women's softball field would be
relocated from behind the JAG School to the corner of Alderman and Massie Roads and it was an
important property — so he believed that this was an important statement.
n
Mr. Bivins stated that they would take down University Hall and radically change the area, with a
potential to replace surface parking with structured parking and to increase green space. He said
these plans seemed to have been accepted by the Board of Visitors and remarked that the work of
the current University architect would probably change the surface of the University of Virginia in
more ways than even the founder. He added that they would also add student housing, which
would take off pressure from the rental market. With no further committee reports, the meeting
moved to the next item.
Old Business.
Mr. Keller invited old business. Hearing none, the meeting moved to the next item.
New Business.
Mr. Keller invited new business.
a. 2019 Planning Commission meeting schedule
Mr. Gast -Bray presented draft schedule and requested feedback from individual Commissioners on
dates absent.
Ms. Firehock noted that April 30 was not on the schedule, and Mr. Gast -Bray noted that it was an
unscheduled meeting date.
Ms. Firehock noted that she would be absent on March 5 due to a conference.
Mr. Dotson suggested checking the dates in November and June for elections.
Ms. Firehock noted that her business card had the wrong phone number and Mr. Gast -Bray suggested
that she contact Stephanie Banton.
The meeting moved to the next item.
Chair Keller announced:
• The next meeting would be on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 in the Auditorium at 6:00 p.m.
• There would be no meeting on Tuesday, November 27, 2018.
Hearing no further new business, the meeting moved to the next item.
Items for Follow-up
ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION —November 20, 2018
FINAL MINUTES
15
cm
Mr. Keller invited items for follow-up. Hearing none, the meeting moved to adjournment.
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m. to the Planning Commission
meeting on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the COB -McIntire, Auditorium, Second Floor, 401
McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Andrew Gast -Bray, Secretary
(Recorded and transcribed by Sharon C. Taylor, Clerk to Planning Commission & Planning Boards)
Approved by Planning Commission
Date: 3-5-2019
Initials: SLB
ALBEMARLE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION — November 20, 2018 16
FINAL MINUTES
.r
-PL AA ke� ri � I I
M
County of Albemarle
Department of Community Development
Memorandum
To: Albemarle County Planning Commission
From: David Hannah, Natural Resources Manager
Division: Administration
Date: November 8, 2018
Subject: CPA201800007 - Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Incorporate Biodiversity
At the June 19, 2018 meeting of the Planning Commission, County staff made an informational
presentation about the recently completed Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for Albemarle County. At its
September 4, 2018 meeting, the Commission adopted a Resolution of Intent (Attachment A) to amend the
Comprehensive Plan to incorporate key aspects of the BAP. A proposed timeline for amending the
Comprehensive Plan was also presented at the meeting (Attachment B). All BAP materials — the full
plan, an Executive Summary, Appendices, and ten maps - are available on the County website,
http://www.albemarte.or department asp?department=cdd&relpape=22534.
County staff has taken an initial step toward amending the Comprehensive Plan. Working with the
County's Natural Heritage Committee, staff drafted new language for the Objective 4 section of the
Natural Resources Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. The draft language includes 13 strategies and is
available in two forms: a redline version of the revisions (Attachment C) and a "clean" version of the
revisions (Attachment D). The current version of this section of the Comprehensive Plan is also available
as Attachment E. A summary of the proposed new and revised strategies is available as Attachment F.
Staff recommends that all BAP materials be included in the Reference Documents section of the
Comprehensive Plan.
Staff has also initiated the process of gathering public input about the proposed Comprehensive Plan
amendment. An Amail message is scheduled to be sent on November 14. The message will include a
link to an online survey allowing respondents to provide comments and indicate their level of support for
the 13 proposed strategies. The message will also announce a public meeting on November 29 at 5:30pm
in Room 241 of the County Office Building. Meeting attendees will learn about the proposed
Comprehensive Plan amendment and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
During the Planning Commission meeting on November 20, 2018, staff would like to work with the
Commissioners on three actions: review and discuss the public input process for amending the
Comprehensive Plan, discuss the structural format for the amended plan, and review and discuss the
content of the draft revisions. The summary of the proposed new and revised strategies (Attachment F)
should be helpful in discussing content.
.E
4
Attachment A: Resolution of Intent
Attachment B: Proposed Timeline for the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process
Attachment C: Draft — Revised language for Chapter 4 of Comprehensive Plan — "redline" version
Attachment D: Draft — Revised language for Chapter 4 of Comprehensive Plan — "clean" version
Attachment E: Current version of Chapter 4 of Comprehensive Plan, Objective 4 section
Attachment F: Summary of Proposed New and Revised Strategies
M
RESOLUTION OF INTENT
WHEREAS, Albemarle County has a significant history of valuing the protection of natural
resources and biological diversity; and
WHEREAS, the County's long commitment to valuing natural resources and biological diversity
included the adoption of a Natural Resources and Cultural Assets Chapter in its 1999 Comprehensive
Plan and the establishment of a temporary Biodiversity Work Group that developed a report and
assessment of biodiversity in the County in 2004; and
WHEREAS, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors established the Natural Heritage
Committee in 2005 to advise the Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, and County staff on
applying biodiversity information to land use decision -making and supporting biodiversity education; and
WHEREAS, the County's 2015 Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 4 (Natural Resources), Strategy 4a
proposes that the County develop an Action Plan for Biodiversity to protect significant areas of biological
importance in the County for presentation to the Board of Supervisors for adoption into the
Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, County staff, working in consultation with and under the advisement of the Natural
Heritage Committee presented a Biodiversity Action Plan to the Board of Supervisors at its July 5, 2018
meeting; and
*#*r WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors endorsed the Biodiversity Action Plan and directed
County staff to work with the Planning Commission to amend the 2015 Comprehensive Plan to
incorporate key elements of the Biodiversity Action Plan;
M
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT for purposes of public necessity,
convenience, general welfare and good land use planning practices, the Albemarle County Planning
Commission hereby adopts a resolution to consider amending the 2015 Comprehensive Plan to
incorporate key elements of the Biodiversity Action Plan; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing
on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment proposed by this resolution, and make its recommendation to the
Board of Supervisors, at the earliest possible date.
ATTACHMENT A
Proposed Timeline for Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process
to Incorporate Key Aspects of the Biodiversity Action Plan
DATES ACTION
August - September 2018 Planning Commission adopts a Resolution of Intent to amend the
Comprehensive Plan
September - October 2018
October 2018
November 2018 - January 2019
March 2019
April - May 2019
June 2019
Staff preparation of specific language for consideration
Process to engage public, receive input
Work sessions with Planning Commission
Public Hearing with Planning Commission
Work sessions with Board of Supervisors
Public Hearing with Board of Supervisors
M
1E
ATTACHMENT B
M
Objective 4: Protect the biological diversity and ecological integrity of the County in
both the Rural Area and Development Areas.
Biological diversity, J2r "biodiversity" for short}, has been defined as "the diversity of life in all its forms,
and at all levels of organization" (Hunter 1996). While there are numerous ways to think about how life
and all organisms are organized the most common ways of viewing biodiversity include species diversity,
genetic diversity and ecosystem diversity. Biodiversity is sometimes described as the totality of genes.
species, and ecosystems of a region. is
The health of biological systems is often indicated by the amount of native variety they contain. Native
species have evolved to live in their current habitats and, generally, the more diverse a system is, the
healthier it is. The breadth of species creates strength for all species; when a species is lost, it signals a
change that may affect all species.
(e g wood products from forests). More broadly, we depend on the services that ecosystems, and the
living thinks found in them.provide. Ecosystem services refer to the many benefits that humans receive, at
no direct economic cost from natural environments and functioning ecosystems. Some critical ecosystem
services include purification of air and water, pollination of crops and natural vegetation generation and
renewal of soil and fertilitX and mitigation of floods and droughts. Healthy, functioning ecosystems also
greatly contribute to the quality of life of City and County residents.
Protection of biodiversity is important in both the Development Areas and the Rural Area. Because the
quantity of resources is so much greater in the Rural Area, most of the efforts in protecting biodiversity are
focused in the Rural Area. Different efforts to protect biodiversity exist for the Development Areas, such
as identifying key species or systems that might be impacted by new development and considering how
they should be protected. Preservation of environmental corridors, such as those shown on Parks and Green
Systems plans in Development Area Master Plans,, helps to maintain biodiversity in the Development Areas.
Source: Linfield College Department of Sustoinability, Linfield,
OR. Used with permission.
ATTACHMENT C
Equally important is the preservation of
wooded corridors that extend from the
Rural Area into the Development Areas.
There are a variety of threats to
biodiversity, ranging from the local to the
global scale. An ongoing threat in
Albemarle County and beyond is habitat
fragmentation. When large patches of
habitat are fragmented into smaller areas,
species dependent on large "interior"
habitats or ranges cannot survive. As
shown in Figure 4, the size of the interior
habitat is reduced, minimizing area for
food, cover, and movement.
Figure 4: Illustration of Habitat Size and Biodiversity
fragmentation
inlesior Im6Nai aed specie deareau
edge 6abitet mid species insreese
Fragmentation also reduces viability for species. Loss of safe passages between habitats (shown in picture
B of Figure 5) prevents species from reaching needed habitats or recolonizing habitats that have lost those
species.
Subdivision of land parcels into smaller parcels is conceptually distinct from habitat fragmentation and has
been referred to as "parcelization" (Downing 2016) However parcelization often leads to habitat
fragmentation. Parcelization and subdivision of land can result in the size and/or shape of parcels that
are generally usable only for residential purposes thus complicating land management for forestry,
agriculture, or conservation.
Figure 5: Illustration of Habitat Range and Connectivity
E
A: A well connected landscape. B: A poorly connected landscape.
Source: Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISR WG)
Conversion of wildlife habitat to land uses
that remove the key elements for survival
result in many fewer native species and
pose the greatest threat to biodiversity. As
discussed in the Rural Area Chapter (page
18). there is potential for much residential
development in the Rural Area, which could
negatively affect biodiversity,
Aquatic habitats are also degraded by soil
erosion when land is cleared for develop-
ment. As a result, aquatic life declines and
affects the health of rivers and streams.
Any effort to protect the quality of ecosys-
tems must include both terrestrial (land -
based) and aquatic (water -based) ecosys-
tems.
19
In
ATTACHMENT C
Eq
While the most important areas for biodiversity are in the Rural Area, the Development Areas also have a
role to play in biodiversity protection. The most important features to protect in the Development Areas
are wooded riparian areas, wetlands, and habitat corridors.
Strategy 4a: ImRlementBe+reiep an Action Plan for Biodiversity #ethat includes protection of significant
areas of biological importance in the County.
The Natural Heritage Committee (formerly the Biodiversity Committee) was appointed by the Board of
Supervisors in 2005 to create and maintain the County's Biodiversity Assessment, adviele the Board of
Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and County staff on applying biodiversity information ',to land -
use decision -making, and support biodiversity education in the County. Their mission is to b&Ip-'maintain
and restore the County's native biological diversity and provide a healthy environment for the citizens
of Albemarle County.
Lt.77•,T,.. �..�. R,.T'..-�,..-�...,ST.�.S.... �.,•�..-,•.-�..,.• n �.�,..-,,.•, •,.�..,.*t S7lTTS=!TT t, �.�-.w 7
ATTACHMENT C
them..
habitat fragments en their ppepert es amd by using neitiye plants feF lemelseeping. IneefifiYes eelft
When eempleted, the ee+iem plan sheuld be presented fe the Beard ef SuperyiseFs fer edeptien into
The Biodiversiy Action Plan (BAP) provides both a broad overview and detailed information about
biodiversity in the County. A key component of the plan is a spatial analysis of the Albemarle County
landscape and the habitat it contains. Figures 6. 7. and 8 illustrate some of the data, analysis, and
results of the plan.
The BAP affirms the need to minimize and reduce habitat fragmentation County -wide by maintaining
existing_ habitat connectivity. It promotes establishing new connectivity where possible and appropriate.
It identifies non-native invasive species and climate change as significant threats to biodiversity both
locally and on grander scales. It builds and expands upon recommendations in Obiectives 1. 5. and 6
of this Chapter that call for protecting and preserving water resources, retaining mountain resources,
retaining and improving land cover near rivers and streams, and protecting wetlands.
The BAP should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to account for changing conditions and
to incorporate new knowledge and data. The BAP was intended to cover a five year period and
should be reviewed and updated as needed in 2023.
The strategies that follow provide specific ways to protect and conserve biodiversity in Albemarle
County.
Strateav 4b: Use existina tools (e.a.. conservation easements). develop strateaies. and implement new
conservation programs to protect lands in the three conservation focus areas, other conservation targets
(e.g., examlles of the five key ecosystems described below, large forest blocks or other intact, im-
portant habitat). and lands that can serve as habitat corridors or connections amona important habitat
areas.
The BAP identifies three areas of the County that are rich in biodiversity and have significant
conservation value (see Figure 8). Conserving lands and resources within the three focus areas —
Northwestern Albemarle. the Southern Albemarle Mountains, and the Rivanna River Corridor -
prioritizes efforts and should maximize conservation effectiveness. Five types of ecosystems are also
identitifed as key for conserving biodiversity: 1) forests. 2) outcrops, bluffs, and other xeric habitats.
3) relict Piedmont prairies and grasslands. 4) rivers, streams, and riparian areas. and 51 wetlands.
These ecosystems may be important conservation targets regardless of their location. That is, they do
not need to be located within the conservation focus areas to merit protection. Similarly, lands that can
connect areas of habitat may be important conservation targets regardless of location in the CountX.
The County's conservation easement programs. Acquisition of Conservation Easements (ACE) and Albe-
marle Conservation Easement Authority (ACEA), can be effective tools for helping conserve biodiversity.
n
ATTACHMENT C
m
In addition to revising the criteria for these programs to include biodiversity values (as stated in Strat-
eay 4e of this chapter), these programs should be strengthened. This is consistent with Strategy 5d of
this chapter and Strategies 2b, 2d. 2e. and 2f (hyperlink) of the Rural Area chapter.
Other land and resource protection tools should be investigated for use in Albemarle County. For
example a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)program should be investigated as a possible method
for conserving. biodiversity. Lands within the three conservation focus areas and other identified con-
servation targets could be the focus of TDR programs Researching a TDR program that is appropriate
for Albemarle County is consistent with Strategies 1 a and 2g (hyperlink) of the Rural Area chapter.
Strategy 4c: Protect and conserve natural resources on County -owned land to enhance biodiversitX.
Public lands and the ways they are managed play an important role in protecting open space wildlife
habitat, and biodiversity. Several land management practices, if implemented consistently on County -
owned land, will contribute to enhancing biodiversity. Examples include controlling non-native invasive
species using locally native plants in landscaping promoting natural plant communities on site when
possible (e.g.. establishing native grassland habitat in place of turf or large lawn areas), maintaining
wide riparian buffers along waterways, and reducing stormwater runoff.
County parks in particular can play a critical role in conserving biodiversity Many parks contain !�x
amples of the five highlighted ecosystems. and several current and future County parks occur within or
near the conservation focus areas If managed properlyLparks can conserve large intact areas of
forest and other habitat types Management plans for the parks should include strategies to conserve
and enhance biodiversity Simple examples include controlling access to sensitive areas designating
specific locations for non -disturbance (e.g reducing areas maintained by mowing) and using board-
walks and signage to limit access to sensitive areas while providing unique educational opportunities
Where possible, prescribed burning can be used to promote biodiversitX.
Strategy 4d: Preserve existing vegetation in areas shown as Parks and Green Systems on Development
Area Master Plans.
Each Development Area Master Plan describes the importance of preserving stream corridors and other
environmentally sensitive areas. These places are especially important to biodiversity as are other
areas shown as Parks and Green Systems in the Master Plan maps. The Neighborhood Model princi-
ples, found in the Development Areas Chapter, describe the importance of parks, recreational
amenities, and open space in creating and maintaining high quality neighborhoods. Wooded areas
riparian areas, and undeveloped well -vegetated land connecting these areas help retain habitat cor-
ridors.
Strategy 4e: Revise criteria for ACE (Acquisition of Conservation Easement Program) and ACEA (Albe-
marle Conservation Easement Authority. formerly the Public Recreational Facilities Authority) easement
applications to more accurately identify biodiversity resources and conservation needs.
onservation easements typically restrict development and protect agricultural, scenic. historic. and
aquatic resources. They could be more effective at protecting specific habitat areas. While recogniz-
ing the value of biodiversity, current criteria for assessing biodiversity on ACE properties are limited in
scope, with biodiversity data coming into play on a very limited basis. The criteria should be revised
to include additional information and data sources. including BAP data. Improved criteria will allow
ATTACHMENT C
biodiversity to be more easily considered in evaluating properties for ACE easements. For all County -
held easements. terms and language need to be developed that provide effective methods for per-
manentlXprotecting specific habitat areas that support biodiversity.
Strategy 4f: Take steps to conserve and protect high priority Important Sites in the County.
ImRortant Sites are defined as "locations of specialplant communities, unusual habitats, or species rare
to scarce in the County." An initial list of Important Sites was developed by the Biodiversity Work
Group in 2004. The Natural Heritage Committee (NHC) has maintained and revised the list in the
ensuing years. Appendix C of the BAP provides descriptions of all 53 sites and a list of the 24 high
priority sites. Map 3 of the BAP shows generalized locations of the sites.
Important Sites were evaluated based on their conservation value and the potential for conservation
action that can be taken in the five years following completion of the BAP. The NHC intends to serve
as an advocate for thirteen of the sites, working with landowners and local residents to raise awareness
about them and discuss options for appropriate management and protection. Based on pending ac-
tions, the County is well positioned to positively influence activities and land management at nine
Important Sites, and should take lead responsibility for them. The pending actions include development
of new County parks, joint planning with the City of Charlottesville and Thomas Jefferson Planning
District Commission on a Rivanna River corridor, and updating the Pantops Master Plan. The CountX
and the NHC should share responsibility for two Important Sites. One site is adjacent to a future CountX
park. The other site is within the Shenandoah National Park.
S,trUtggy_g : Encourage the use of locally native plants in landscaping to protect and provide habitat
for native biodiversity, to save water, and to connect landowners to the local ecosystem.
The use of locally ngtivc plants in landscapina. -land manaaement, and development proiects is
important to protect native biodiversity aaainst invasive species, to save water compared to plantings
not adapted to the local climate, to provide additional habitat for native species, and to help connect
residents to the local ecosystems, In 2012. Albemarle County Department of General Services (since
renamed Facilities and Environmental Services) staff developed a native plants database and currently
strives tpplant at Ig 0% native plants in County proiects. Community Development Department
staff should also promote use of native plants in coniunction with the site development process.
Strategy 4h: Collaborate with resource management agencies, partners, and landowners to manage
non-native invasive species to reduce their impacts and limit their spread.
The threat that non-native invasive species pose to biodiversity, aariculture, forestry. and other concerns
is widely documented and accepted. Numerous state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups,, and
other organizations are actively engaged in trying to manage the threat. Examples include Virginia
Dept. of Forestry, Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Blue Ridge PRISM. Thomas Jefferson
Soil and Water Conservation District. The Nature Conservancy, and the Virginia Native Plant Society:
Efforts on this front by the County can be significantly strengthened by collaborating with these and
other organizations:
Strategy 4i: Include aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement with strategies for water quality when
developing the comprehensive water resources plan.
ATTACHMENT C
in
Strategy 1 c of this Chapter calls for developing and implementing a comprehensive water resources
plan for the County. The strategy includes stream restoration needs and strategies. public education
efforts, and coordination of different CountXprograms. This represents a logical and practical oppor-
tunity to enhance aquatic and riparian habitat as part of the comprehensive water resources plan.
Biodiversity and stream health are associated with water quality. The Virginia Department of Environ-
mental Quality designates aquatic life, as determined by benthic macroinvertebrate data, as one of
six designated uses for surface waters, and thus a standard for assessing_ water quality
The County's network of rivers. streams. and riparian areas are a vital component of regional biodi-
versitX. as stated under Strategy 4b of this chapter. Greater efforts should be made to protect these
resources, for purposes of both imRroving water quality and protecting biodiversity. Taking actions for
these purposes is consistent with Objectives 1 and 6 of this chapter. Strategies 1 a. 6a. 6b, and 6c of
this chapter. Objective 8 and Strategies 8a and 8b(hyperlink) of the Development Areas chapter, and
Strategy 3a &%erlink) of the Parks and Recreation, Greenways. Blueways. and Green Systems chap-
ter.
Strategyy 4,1h Increase the community's awareness of the importance of biodiversity to encourage
protection of biological resources
Volunteers and the County can support private conservation effprts�Y-developina and dissemina ina
7tT�i�I�fi'leTiR - I liiC;[�ill � � I T=��i • • i�i7t7 • • •lam • • i�C�Ti➢ -
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ATTACHMENT C
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In the years following creation of the Natural Heritage Committee in 2005, County resources were
limited and no staff was available to work with the committee. With the hirina of a natural resources
staff person in December 2015. a liaison between County staff and the NHC was established. The
staff position supports the NHC and made development of the BAP possible. The staff position also
strengthens County efforts to improve stream health, helps monitor proposed proiects for impacts to
biodiversity, provides additional resources for project review, and increases County support, outreach,
and education for landowners.
Kn, 1 t 1 - ! • / • Il=i f 11 ! :1=i1/ - • • 1 1 - •1 • 1 f - . - - 1 - 1 - • 1 - • 1 11 1 - tl - 1
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Strategy 4m13,: DeveloI2 indicators and monitor data that reflect the state of biodiv rsity in the County.
Regularly repeat the land use/land-cover data -gathering process (as begun in 2009) for the purpose
of monitoring landscape changes.
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In 2007, Albemarle County, along with the Nature Conservancy, the Rivanna River Basin Commission,
and StreamWatch Lmeraed_ with Rivanna Conservation Society in 2016 to form Rivanna Conservation
Alliance funded mapping of land cover in the County and the rest of the Rivanna River watershed. The
first map was completed in 2009 and is provided as a layer on the County's GIS web application.
Because it is such a useful tool to track change over time, it is essential to repeat because it provides
feedback on the effectiveness of conservation programs and allows conservation programs to adapt
to trends in landscape changes.
ATTACHMENT C
-- ------ - -- - - -- -- - - --- - - ----- - ---- -- - - -- - - - - - --
- - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - -
of-Imin-9--m
CITATIONS:
Downing, A. 2016. "The Fragmented Forest." Virginia Forest Landowner Update. Volume 30, Number
4. Fall 2016. Virginia Cooperative Extension Program.
Hunter, M. L. 1996. Fundamentals of Conservation Biology. Cambridge. MA: Blackwell Science.
(The maps below will become Figures 6, 7 and 8 after review & editing is complete.)
PI
In
ATTACHMENT C
0
Map I: Forest Blocks and Tree Cover in Albemarle County
0 1 2 4 Miles f Airport (CHO) K Larp Fared Black (, 100 acres of Irdarlor forest)
1 : 1 1 Major Roams K &rAU Forest Bkrck (10.00 ecra of krkdor tamp
r+ga.d by lases* Ga r Rdkoada 00w Tree Cover (excluding phut plantation)
N Y� rM t a»rnu Major War Bailin Forest Block (portion outside County boundary)
n� na, , x. Naar ►+vx ,r maw sk"ans
Map 1 illustrates forested areas and free cover in Albemarle County based on 2009 land cover data. Pine
plantations were not included as forest or tree cover in this analysis.
ATTACHMENT C
Eartyavdre
C:oi )
Hill., � �' 9dryPbrir
prw.' I
Ile� /
Crozet
7(S0,/f 10 (;/ISt110n1.f
t
v Ro k1t h /' �yy v ft1 � `• CiWl0irB3V111B � . /.
� Kexnck -
Si
lve, BBkdYtl9 '29 f i
Kebre
i/
i
fsmorR i
Town of
Scoftsvtle Composite scores reflect the conservation value
of large forest blocks. Composite scores range in
value from 0 to 10. Higher scores indicate higher
/ conservation value Biological value accounts for I
fy✓ 90%of a composite score. Resill. to dimate
5 change accounts for 10% of a composite score.
wale
Ma 2: Ranking the Conservation Value of t_ar a i-orest tstoCKs
0 2 4 /vules + Airport (CHO) Larger forest Blocks (by oompoefte eeore) Forest Block (portion outside County boundary)
1 Y 1 I M*r Roads «points
Railroads 21. 3 points
ny+,i M aanwa 04 3.1. 4 polrM
,c.a a s.r,�k D. norm M*r WaterBodNs
sy F W.,t utuzms K tt - 8 Doluls
N nt� rpn �, roar w yr 5 am Zr them *a > e pokta
Map 2 illustrates the composite scores of large forest blocks (blocks containing 100 or more acres of interior
forest). Forest blocks were identified using 2009 land cover data.
RE
9
ATTACHMENT C
t err•\
6 +•
Wile
a
' Hap'-
. PUri it
11 a-_ any ad_ F Ick
,L
o
20
Esmonr /
Town of �
�onari,.
Composite scores reflect the conservalm value
of large forest Clocks Composite scares range in
�.4 value from 0 to t 0 Higher scores indicate higher
avu�vih conservation value. Biological value accpurls for
H
HOW 90%ol a composite score. Resilience to climate
change accounts for I(M of a composite score.
Map 4 depicts the three areas in Albemarle County that should be a focus of conservation activity and attention.
ATTACHMENT C
Objective 4: Protect the biological diversity and ecological integrity of the County in
both the Rural Area and Development Areas.
Biological diversity, or "biodiversity" for short, has been defined as "the diversity of life in all its forms, and
at all levels of organization" (Hunter 1996). While there are numerous ways to think about how life and
all organisms are organized, the most common ways of viewing biodiversity include species diversity, genetic
diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Biodiversity is sometimes described as the totality of genes, species, and
ecosystems of a region.
The health of biological systems is often indicated by the amount of native variety they contain. Native
species have evolved to live in their current habitats and, generally, the more diverse a system is, the
healthier it is. The breadth of species creates strength for all species; when a species is lost, it signals a
change that may affect all species.
Biodiversity is important to human populations for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that we
consume products of natural systems (e.g., wood products from forests). More broadly, we depend on the
services that ecosystems, and the living things found in them, provide. Ecosystem services refer to the many
benefits that humans receive, at no direct economic cost, from natural environments and functioning
ecosystems. Some critical ecosystem services include purification of air and water, pollination of crops and
natural vegetation, generation and renewal of soil and fertility, and mitigation of floods and droughts.
Healthy, functioning ecosystems also greatly contribute to the quality of life of City and County residents.
Protection of biodiversity is important in
both the Development Areas and the Rural
Area. Because the quantity of resources is
so much greater in the Rural Area, most of
the efforts in protecting biodiversity are
focused in the Rural Area. Different efforts
Figure 4: Illustration of Habitat Size and Biodiversity
interior species
edge species
to protect biodiversity exist for the
Development Areas, such as identifying
key species or systems that might be
impacted by new development and
considering how they should be protected. 11
Preservation of environmental corridors,'
such as those shown on Parks and Green
h.terior tgbiiat �
Systems plans in Development Area .dge tmbftai
fnsgmentotion
-6-11110.
inferior hobhol wd rpecieecrease s d
edge iwb0ei wd species iaaease
Master Plans, helps to maintain
biodiversity in the Development Areas. Equally important is the Source: Linfield College Department of Sustainability, Linfield,
preservation of wooded corridors that extend from the Rural Area OR. Used with permission.
into the Development Areas.
There are a variety of threats to biodiversity, ranging from the local to the global scale. An ongoing threat
in Albemarle County and beyond is habitat fragmentation. When large patches of habitat are fragmented
into smaller areas, species dependent on large "interior" habitats or ranges cannot survive. As shown in
Figure 4, the size of the interior habitat is reduced, minimizing area for food, cover, and movement.
Fragmentation also reduces viability for species. Loss of safe passages between habitats (shown in picture
B of Figure 5) prevents species from reaching needed habitats or recolonizing habitats that have lost those
species.
n
ATTACHMENT D
M
M
Subdivision of land parcels into smaller parcels is conceptually distinct from habitat fragmentation and has
been referred to as "parcelization" (Downing 2016). However, parcelization often leads to habitat
fragmentation. Parcelization and subdivision of land can result in the size and/or shape of parcels that
are generally usable only for residential purposes, thus complicating land management for forestry,
agriculture, or conservation.
Figure 5: Illustration of Habitat Range and Connectivity
A: A well connected landscape. B: A poorly connected landscape.
Source: Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISR WG)
Conversion of wildlife habitat to land uses
that remove the key elements for survival
result in many fewer native species and
pose the greatest threat to biodiversity. As
discussed in the Rural Area Chapter (page
18), there is potential for much residential
development in the Rural Area, which could
negatively affect biodiversity.
Aquatic habitats are also degraded by soil
erosion when land is cleared for develop-
ment. As a result, aquatic life declines and
affects the health of rivers and streams.
Any effort to protect the quality of ecosys-
tems must include both terrestrial (land -
based) and aquatic (water -based) ecosys-
tems.
While the most important areas for biodiversity are in the Rural Area, the Development Areas also have a
role to play in biodiversity protection. The most important features to protect in the Development Areas
are wooded riparian areas, wetlands, and habitat corridors.
Strategy 4a: Implement an Action Plan for Biodiversity that includes protection of significant areas of
biological importance in the County.
The Natural Heritage Committee (formerly the Biodiversity Committee) was appointed by the Board of
Supervisors in 2005 to create and maintain the County's Biodiversity Assessment, advise the Board of
Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and County staff on applying biodiversity information to land -
use decision -making, and support biodiversity education in the County. Their mission is to help maintain
and restore the County's native biological diversity and provide a healthy environment for the citizens
of Albemarle County.
After adoption of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan, County staff worked with the Natural Heritage
Committee to develop a Biodiversity Action Plan which is included in the Reference Documents section
of this document (hyperlink). Included as Reference Documents and part of the plan are an Executive
Summary, Appendices, and maps. The Biodiversity Action Plan builds upon work conducted by the
Biodiversity Work Group from 2002-2004. The work group was created as a temporary body and
developed a biodiversity report for Albemarle County in 2004. That report, a summary report, and
appendices are also available in the Reference Documents section.
ATTACHMENT D
The Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) provides both a broad overview and detailed information about
biodiversity in the County. A key component of the plan is a spatial analysis of the Albemarle County
landscape and the habitat it contains. Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate some of the data, analysis, and
results of the plan.
The BAP affirms the need to minimize and reduce habitat fragmentation County -wide by maintaining
existing habitat connectivity. It promotes establishing new connectivity where possible and appropriate.
It identifies non-native invasive species and climate change as significant threats to biodiversity both
locally and on grander scales. It builds and expands upon recommendations in Objectives 1, 5, and 6
of this Chapter that call for protecting and preserving water resources, retaining mountain resources,
retaining and improving land cover near rivers and streams, and protecting wetlands.
The BAP should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to account for changing conditions and
to incorporate new knowledge and data. The BAP was intended to cover a five year period and
should be reviewed and updated as needed in 2023.
The strategies that follow provide specific ways to protect and conserve biodiversity in Albemarle
County.
Strategy 4b: Use existing tools (e.g., conservation easements), develop strategies, and implement new
conservation programs to protect lands in the three conservation focus areas, other conservation targets
(e.g., examples of the five key ecosystems described below, large forest blocks or other intact, im-
portant habitat), and lands that can serve as habitat corridors or connections among important habitat
areas.
The BAP identifies three areas of the County that are rich in biodiversity and have significant
conservation value (see Figure 8). Conserving lands and resources within the three focus areas —
Northwestern Albemarle, the Southern Albemarle Mountains, and the Rivanna River Corridor -
prioritizes efforts and should maximize conservation effectiveness. Five types of ecosystems are also
identitifed as key for conserving biodiversity: 1) forests, 2) outcrops, bluffs, and other xeric habitats,
3) relict Piedmont prairies and grasslands, 4) rivers, streams, and riparian areas, and 5) wetlands.
These ecosystems may be important conservation targets regardless of their location. That is, they do
not need to be located within the conservation focus areas to merit protection. Similarly, lands that can
connect areas of habitat may be important conservation targets regardless of location in the County.
The County's conservation easement programs, Acquisition of Conservation Easements (ACE) and Albe-
marle Conservation Easement Authority (ACEA), can be effective tools for helping conserve biodiversity.
In addition to revising the criteria for these programs to include biodiversity values (as stated in Strat-
egy 4e of this chapter), these programs should be strengthened. This is consistent with Strategy 5d of
this chapter and Strategies 2b, 2d, 2e, and 2f (hyperlink) of the Rural Area chapter.
Other land and resource protection tools should be investigated for use in Albemarle County. For
example, a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program should be investigated as a possible method
for conserving biodiversity. Lands within the three conservation focus areas and other identified con-
servation targets could be the focus of TDR programs. Researching a TDR program that is appropriate
for Albemarle County is consistent with Strategies 1 a and 2g (hyperlink) of the Rural Area chapter.
Strategy 4c: Protect and conserve natural resources on County -owned land to enhance biodiversity.
ATTACHMENT D
Public lands and the ways they are managed play an important role in protecting open space, wildlife
habitat, and biodiversity. Several land management practices, if implemented consistently on County -
owned land, will contribute to enhancing biodiversity. Examples include controlling non-native invasive
species, using locally native plants in landscaping, promoting natural plant communities on site when
possible (e.g., establishing native grassland habitat in place of turf or large lawn areas), maintaining
wide riparian buffers along waterways, and reducing stormwater runoff.
County parks in particular can play a critical role in conserving biodiversity. Many parks contain ex-
amples of the five highlighted ecosystems, and several current and future County parks occur within or
near the conservation focus areas. If managed properly, parks can conserve large, intact areas of
forest and other habitat types. Management plans for the parks should include strategies to Conserve
and enhance biodiversity. Simple examples include controlling access to sensitive areas, designating
specific locations for non -disturbance (e.g, reducing areas maintained by mowing), and using board-
walks and signage to limit access to sensitive areas while providing unique educational opportunities.
Where possible, prescribed burning can be used to promote biodiversity.
Strategy 4d: Preserve existing vegetation in areas shown as Parks and Green Systems on Development
Area Master Plans.
Each Development Area Master Plan describes the importance of preserving stream corridors and other
environmentally sensitive areas. These places are especially important to biodiversity as are other
areas shown as Parks and Green Systems in the Master Plan maps. The Neighborhood Model princi-
ples, found in the Development Areas Chapter, describe the importance of parks, recreational
`err amenities, and open space in creating and maintaining high quality neighborhoods. Wooded areas,
riparian areas, and undeveloped well -vegetated land connecting these areas help retain habitat cor-
ridors.
09
Strategy 4e: Revise criteria for ACE (Acquisition of Conservation Easement Program) and ACEA (Albe-
marle Conservation Easement Authority, formerly the Public Recreational Facilities Authority) easement
applications to more accurately identify biodiversity resources and conservation needs.
Conservation easements typically restrict development and protect agricultural, scenic, historic, and
aquatic resources. They could be more effective at protecting specific habitat areas. While recogniz-
ing the value of biodiversity, current criteria for assessing biodiversity on ACE properties are limited in
scope, with biodiversity data coming into play on a very limited basis. The criteria should be revised
to include additional information and data sources, including BAP data. Improved criteria will allow
biodiversity to be more easily considered in evaluating properties for ACE easements. For all County -
held easements, terms and language need to be developed that provide effective methods for per-
manently protecting specific habitat areas that support biodiversity.
Strategy 4f: Take steps to conserve and protect high priority Important Sites in the County.
Important Sites are defined as "locations of special plant communities, unusual habitats, or species rare
to scarce in the County." An initial list of Important Sites was developed by the Biodiversity Work
Group in 2004. The Natural Heritage Committee (NHC) has maintained and revised the list in the
ensuing years. Appendix C of the BAP provides descriptions of all 53 sites and a list of the 24 high
priority sites. Map 3 of the BAP shows generalized locations of the sites.
ATTACHMENT D
Important Sites were evaluated based on their conservation value and the potential for conservation
action that can be taken in the five years following completion of the BAP. The NHC intends to serve
as an advocate for thirteen of the sites, working with landowners and local residents to raise awareness
about them and discuss options for appropriate management and protection. Based on pending ac-
tions, the County is well positioned to positively influence activities and land management at nine
Important Sites, and should take lead responsibility for them. The pending actions include development
of new County parks, joint planning with the City of Charlottesville and Thomas Jefferson Planning
District Commission on a Rivanna River corridor, and updating the Pantops Master Plan. The County
and the NHC should share responsibility for two Important Sites. One site is adjacent to a future County
park. The other site is within the Shenandoah National Park.
Strategy 49: Encourage the use of locally native plants in landscaping to protect and provide habitat
for native biodiversity, to save water, and to connect landowners to the local ecosystem.
The use of locally native plants in landscaping, land management, and development projects is im-
portant to protect native biodiversity against invasive species, to save water compared to plantings
not adapted to the local climate, to provide additional habitat for native species, and to help connect
residents to the local ecosystems. In 2012, Albemarle County Department of General Services (since
renamed Facilities and Environmental Services) staff developed a native plants database and currently
strives to plant at least 80% native plants in County projects. Community Development Department
staff should also promote use of native plants in conjunction with the site development process.
Strategy 4h: Collaborate with resource management agencies, partners, and landowners to manage
non-native invasive species to reduce their impacts and limit their spread.
*00
The threat that non-native invasive species pose to biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, and other concerns
is widely documented and accepted. Numerous state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups, and
other organizations are actively engaged in trying to manage the threat. Examples include Virginia
Dept. of Forestry, Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Blue Ridge PRISM, Thomas Jefferson
Soil and Water Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy, and the Virginia Native Plant Society.
Efforts on this front by the County can be significantly strengthened by collaborating with these and
other organizations.
Strategy 4i: Include aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement with strategies for water quality when
developing the comprehensive water resources plan.
Strategy 1 c of this Chapter calls for developing and implementing a comprehensive water resources
plan for the County. The strategy includes stream restoration needs and strategies, public education
efforts, and coordination of different County programs. This represents a logical and practical oppor-
tunity to enhance aquatic and riparian habitat as part of the comprehensive water resources plan.
Biodiversity and stream health are associated with water quality. The Virginia Department of Environ-
mental Quality designates aquatic life, as determined by benthic macroinverteb rate data, as one of
six designated uses for surface waters, and thus a standard for assessing water quality.
The County's network of rivers, streams, and riparian areas are a vital component of regional biodi-
versity, as stated under Strategy 4b of this chapter. Greater efforts should be made to protect these
resources, for purposes of both improving water quality and protecting biodiversity. Taking actions for
these purposes is consistent with Objectives 1 and 6 of this chapter, Strategies 1 a, 6a, 6b, and 6c of
M
ATTACHMENT D
this chapter, Objective 8 and Strategies 8a and 816(hyper►ink) of the Development Areas chapter, and
Strategy 3a (hyperlink) of the Parks and Recreation, Greenways, Blueways, and Green Systems chap-
ter.
Strategy 4j- Increase the community's awareness of the importance of biodiversity to encourage
protection of biological resources.
Volunteers and the County can support private conservation efforts by developing and disseminating
educational and technical material to the general public, developers, and private land owners, including
residents of the Development Areas. The material should contain information on the value of
biodiversity and voluntary techniques that can be used to protect biological resources located on their
land.
Strategy 4k: Continue to collaborate with federal, State, and regional partners, who have geographic
information on biological resources, to help build a biodiversity inventory.
Federal, State, and regional agencies all collect data on biological resources and work towards species
protection. Because the County has very limited sources of information and analysis on habitats and
biodiversity, it can use the assistance and existing capacity of partner agencies if working relationships
are built and maintained.
One very useful strategy would be to work with the Virginia Department of, Transportation to design
and test wildlife overpasses and underpasses to reduce the loss of wildlife to habitat fragmentation by
roads, especially between large habitat blocks. A variety of overpasses and underpass sizes can
contribute to biodiversity protection, including, for example, very small tubes and tunnels that can help
rry amphibians move between upland and wetland habitats as needed for reproduction.
In
Strategy 41. Retain a position for a County staff member with expertise in conservation biology.
In the years following creation of the Natural Heritage Committee in 2005, County resources were
limited and no staff was available to work with the committee. With the hiring of a natural resources
staff person in December 2015, a liaison between County staff and the NHC was established. The
staff position supports the NHC and made development of the BAP possible. The staff position also
strengthens County efforts to improve stream health, helps monitor proposed projects for impacts to
biodiversity, provides additional resources for project review, and increases County support, outreach,
and education for landowners.
Staff is in a unique situation to help make the connections between science, conservation management,
and planning in the County. Staff time for conservation enables the County to be more effective and
ensure that resources expended on these programs are put to the best use.
Strategy 4m: Develop indicators and monitor data that reflect the state of biodiversity in the County.
Regularly repeat the land use/land-cover data -gathering process (as begun in 2009) for the purpose
of monitoring landscape changes.
The state of biodiversity in Albemarle County is continually evolving. Indications of change are im-
portant in monitoring and assessing the current state, for tracking changes through time, and for
effective conservation planning. Indicators may directly or indirectly reflect biodiversity resources.
Examples of indicators could include the amount of land and landscape areas that are protected, the
ATTACHMENT D
level of protection provided, indices of habitat connectivity and fragmentation, water quality and
stream health data, and the status of threats to biodiversity (e.g., non-native invasive plants).
In 2007, Albemarle County, along with the Nature Conservancy, the Rivanna River Basin Commission,
and StreamWatch (merged with Rivanna Conservation Society in 2016 to form Rivanna Conservation
Alliance) funded mapping of land cover in the County and the rest of the Rivanna River watershed. The
first map was completed in 2009 and is provided as a layer on the County's GIS web application.
Because it is such a useful tool to track change over time, it is essential to repeat because it provides
feedback on the effectiveness of conservation programs and allows conservation programs to adapt
to trends in landscape changes.
CITATIONS:
Downing, A. 2016. "The Fragmented Forest." Virginia Forest Landowner Update. Volume 30, Number
4, Fall 2016. Virginia Cooperative Extension Program.
Hunter, M. L. 1996. Fundamentals of Conservation Biology. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Science.
(The maps below will become Figures 6, 7 and 8 after review & editing is complete.)
n
R
ATTACHMENT D
09
Cm
reap 1: rorest Mocks and Tree Cover in Albemarle County
O 1 2 4Miles f Akport(CHO) K Large Forest Mock(> 100 acres of krtabr 9�
t r t r k4or Roads K 3ma9 Forest Bock (10. 99 acre of kftedor %reaq
Nwd 4 U.—W '::' Rwroads Other Tree Cover (excluding
06. s c..rw a D. i— 1 p pkre plarhMd..uras.)..n
N xq kw. Ow is VmW Water Bodin Forts Wed (portion Ofide CourHy WIRWuy)
lln rly a (a O1" f ,i " 0x7
NyorStrcans
map ► ►nustrares roresred areas and tree cover in Albemarle County based on 2009 land cover data. Pine
plantations were not included as forest or tree cover in this analysis.
ATTACHMENT D
Map 2• Ranking the Conservation Value of urge t-orest 151OCKS
} Airport (CHO) Large Forest Bbdw (by coWIPOede score) Fared Block (poetion outride Caurdy boundary)
0 1 2 4 MO., MqW Rotes � 2 pokrfs
L ' 1 i Railroads 2.1-3pohft
W es —a aanr 04 3.1.4 pokrts
D. 016 Major Water Bodies
K 4.1.8 Palms
N Np Rd::t1Major 96la11N
c„ ea �� �. uOw.)?"— � aar 04 > 8 pokds
Map 2 illustrates the composite scores of large forest blocks (blocks containing 1 UU or more acres or interwar
forest). Forest blocks were identified using 2009 land cover data.
In
In
ATTACHMENT D
Em
r ra -T. %.a,t tZIC1 vduvt t rucus Hreas
0 { 2 4 "Ies
+ Airport (CHO)
Lrp Forest Bbom eb (by oposlb score) Forest ck Blo (Poitlon mbkW County boundary)
I 1 1
M e. 4�
Major Roads
c2poMs
O Conservation Focus Area
iw .. ,.. ;,.,gr+HK ca
a4 P..—&chnols
Railmack
Mayer Wafer Bodlea
21. 3 points
3.t . 4 points
H
B. My;. ra k rq,K ear
Major Sheens
K 4.1.6 points
ad >6Doms
neap 4 aeptcts the three areas in Albemarle County that should be a focus of conservation activity and attention.
ATTACHMENT D
Objective 4: Protect the biological diversity and ecological integrity of the County in
both the Rural Area and Development Areas.
Biological diversity ("biodiversity" for short) is the variety of living organisms that inhabit a particular area
or ecosystem. The health of biological systems is often indicated by the amount of native variety they
contain. Native species have evolved to live in their current habitats and, generally, the more diverse a
system is, the healthier it is. The breadth of species creates strength for all species; when a species is lost,
it signals a change that may affect all species.
Worldwide, human life depends on the products of living organisms. Whether these animals, plants, or
microorganisms are wild or domesticated, they provide food, medicine and industrial products essential to
mankind. These products form the backbone of the world's economy. That is, fisheries, forestry, agriculture,
and other industries depend on animals and plants, and therefore rely directly on a diversity of biological
resources. Soil bacteria are essential for productive farmlands. Other bacteria provide crucial vitamins
and enzymes. Biodiversity of species, landscapes, and ecosystems also provides for ecological services,
such as retention of clean water, production of oxygen, consumption of carbon dioxide, resistance to
parasites and disease organisms, control of agricultural pests, facilitating pollination, and critical recycling
of inorganic nutrients upon which all natural productivity depends.
Protection of biodiversity is important in both the Development Areas and the Rural Area. Because the
quantity of resources is so much greater in the Rural Area, most of the efforts in protecting biodiversity are
focused in the Rural Area. Different efforts to protect biodiversity exist for the Development Areas, such
as identifying key species or systems that might be impacted by new development and considering how
they should be protected. Preservation of environmental corridors, such as those shown on Parks and Green
Systems plans in Development Area Master Plans helps to maintain biodiversity in the Development Areas.
Equally important is the preservation of Figure 4: Illustration of Habitat Size and Biodiversity
wooded corridors that extend from the
Rural Area into the Development Areas.
When large patches are fragmented into
smaller areas, species dependent on large
"interior" habitats or ranges cannot
survive. As shown in Figure 4, the size of
the interior habitat is reduced, minimizing
area for food, cover, and movement.
Fragmentation also reduces viability for
species. Loss of safe passages between
habitats (shown in picture B of Figure 5)
prevents species from reaching needed
habitats or recolonizing habitats that have
lost those species.
interior species
fragmentation
irden« habAat >�
edge bobifol
F:_oad r hTbt bitat oral species inveese
Source: Linfield College Department of Sustainability, Lin -
field, OR. Used with permission.
In
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'crew Figure 5: Illustration of Habitat Range and Connectivity
Conversion of wildlife habitat to land
uses that remove the key elements for
survival result in manv fewer nn+ivea
species and pose the greatest threat to
biodiversity.
Aquatic habitats are also degraded by soil
erosion when land is cleared for develop-
ment. As a result, aquatic life declines and
affects the health of rivers and streams.
Any effort to protect the quality of ecosys-
tems must include both terrestrial (land -
based) and aquatic (water -based) ecosys-
tems.
While the most important areas for
biodiversity are in the Rural Area, the
Source: Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group (FISR WG) Development Areas also have a role to
play in biodiversity protection. The most
important features to protect in the Development Areas are wooded riparian areas, wetlands, and habitat
corridors.
Strategy 4a: Develop an Action Plan for Biodiversity to protect significant areas of biological
importance in the County.
The Natural Heritage Committee (formerly the Biodiversity Committee) was appointed by the Board of
Supervisors in 2005 to create and maintain the County's Biodiversity Assessment, advice the Board of
Supervisors, the Planning Commission, and County staff on applying biodiversity information to land -
use decision -making, and support biodiversity education in the County. Their mission is to maintain and
restore the County's native biological diversity and provide a healthy environment for the citizens of
Albemarle County. This Committee will provide guidance to County staff to develop a plan of action.
Developing the plan should also include other experts and volunteers.
The first step in planning for biodiversity protection is a landscape -level analysis. Such an analysis
would incorporate data on the County's landforms and on the location and quality of habitats, including
fragmentation and connectivity, as well as the current level of biodiversity. Aquatic biodiversity should
also be addressed through a sub -watershed analysis. The landscape approach focuses on a wide scale
(square miles rather than square feet) and on the management of major land features (e.g., forest
blocks, watersheds, urbanized areas) to conserve biodiversity. The goal of these analyses would be to
identify priority areas for conservation and restoration so that the County's policies and resources could
be used to protect biodiversity in the most effective manner. Important landscape features can be
prioritized for conservation measures (such as conservation easements) or for restoration efforts.
The action plan can be developed from the inventory and analysis. The plan should contain the map
of important landscape features and individual species occurrences that can be included in the County's
Geographic Information System. When made widely available, County staff and the public can use
the information for conservation purposes as well as reviewing requests for legislative approvals. The
plan should recommend incentives and policies that would encourage land uses and conservation
approaches to support the County's landscape management goals for each area of the County. Aquatic
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conservation should also be addressed through land management techniques designed for specific
watersheds. It should also contain a set of indicators of biodiversity status that can be tracked.
The County should establish concrete goals for the Albemarle landscape, including targets for overall
forest cover, the preservation of existing forest blocks, and the restoration or establishment of additional
forest blocks or corridors. The County should also use the StreamWatch analysis of the relationship
between land use (particularly forest cover and impervious surfaces) and water quality to classify
stream health in the County's watersheds, and to develop appropriate management approaches for
them.
The plan should also include recommendations for incentive programs to encourage landowners to
protect habitats on their property. Homeowners can contribute to biodiversity protection by protecting
habitat fragments on their properties and by using native plants for landscaping. Incentives can
encourage landowners to work with the County to work toward successful habitat protection.
When completed, the action plan should be presented to the Board of Supervisors for adoption into
the Comprehensive Plan. From that action plan, the Natural Heritage Committee can develop a list of
short-term conservation targets. The plan should be revised periodically to reflect changes in the
landscape and the conservation status of important areas of the County.
Strategy 4b: Regularly repeat the land use/land-cover data -gathering process (as begun in 2009)
for the purpose of monitoring landscape changes.
In 2007, Albemarle County, along with the Nature Conservancy, the Rivanna River Basin Commission,
and StreamWatch funded mapping of land cover in the County and the rest of the Rivanna River
watershed. The first map was completed in 2009 and is provided as a layer on the County's GIS web
application. Because it is such a useful tool to track change over time, it is essential to repeat because
it provides feedback on the effectiveness of conservation programs and allows conservation programs
to adapt to trends in landscape changes.
Strategy 4c: Collaborate with federal, State, and regional partners, who have geographic information
on biological resources, to help build a biodiversity inventory.
Federal, State, and regional agencies all collect data on biological resources and work towards species
protection. Because the County has very limited sources of information and analysis on habitats and
biodiversity, it can use the assistance and existing capacity of partner agencies if working relationships
are built and maintained.
One very useful strategy would be to work with the Virginia Department of Transportation to design
and test wildlife overpasses and underpasses to reduce the loss of wildlife to habitat fragmentation by
roads, especially between large habitat blocks. A variety of overpasses and underpass sizes can
contribute to biodiversity protection, including, for example, very small tubes and, tunnels that can help
amphibians move between upland and wetland habitats as needed for reproduction.
Strategy 4d Assess the need for hiring a County staff member with expertise in conservation biology,
and/or training existing County staff in principles of conservation biology to assist in development of
the Action Plan and coordination with other County actions.
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When the Biodiversity Report, which may be found in the Reference Documents was developed in 2004,
the County was able to provide staff to coordinate the activities of 13 residents who are also profes-
sional ornithologists, foresters, wildlife biologists, botanists, and watershed managers. However, since
that time, funding cuts have limited the activities for providing support to the volunteers who are needed
to create the action plan. In addition, staff time to provide input on the impacts of development on
habitat is extremely limited. Staff is in a unique situation to help make the connections between science,
conservation management, and planning in the County. Additional staff time for conservation would
enable the County to be more effective and ensure that resources expended on these programs are
put to the best use.
Strategy 4e: Encourage the use of native plants in landscaping to protect and provide habitat for
native biodiversity, to save water, and to connect landowners to the local ecosystem.
The use of native plants in landscaping and land management projects is important to protect native
biodiversity against invasive species, to save water compared to plantings not adapted to the local
climate, to provide additional habitat for native species, and to help connect residents to the local
ecosystems. In 2012, Albemarle County General Services staff developed a native plants database
and currently strives to plant at least 80% native plants in County projects. Community Development
staff should also promote use of native plants in conjunction with the site development process.
Strategy 4f: Increase the community's awareness of the importance of biodiversity to encourage
protection of biological resources.
Volunteers and the County can support private conservation efforts by developing and disseminating
educational and technical material to the general public, developers, and private land owners, including
residents of the Development Areas. The material should contain information on the value of
biodiversity and voluntary techniques that can be used to protect biological resources located on their
land.
Strategy 4,g Provide information to potential land subdividers on the importance of protecting habitat
when creating lots for development.
The County can help retain habitats and corridors by working with property owners early in the devel-
opment process, especially in the Rural Area, to identify the benefits of protecting habitat. The County
can also provide information on ways to subdivide land that provides for the most protection of habitats
as well as provide information on conservation programs in the County and other agencies. More
information on ways to assist property owners can be found in the Rural Area Chapter.
Strategy 4h: Preserve existing vegetation in areas shown as Parks and Green Systems on Development
Area Master Plans.
Each Development Area Master Plan describes the importance of preserving stream corridors and other
environmentally sensitive areas. These places are especially important to biodiversity as are other
areas shown as Parks and Green Systems in the Master Plan maps. The Neighborhood Model princi-
ples. found in the Development Areas Chapter, describe the importance of parks, recreational
amenities, and open space in creating and maintain high quality neighborhoods. Wooded areas, ri-
parian areas, and undeveloped well -vegetated land connecting these areas helps retain habitat
corridors.
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Summary of Strategies under Objective 4 of Natural Resources Chapter -
Proposed Revisions to the Comprehensive Plan
11/8/18
Current Comp Plan Strategies:
Strategy 4a: Develop an Action Plan for Biodiversity to protect significant areas of biological
importance in the County.
e Remains as new Strategy 4a. "Implement an action plan" replaces "Develop an action plan."
Strategy 4b: Regularly repeat the land use/land-cover data -gathering process (as begun in 2009)
for the purpose of monitoring landscape changes.
e Is incorporated as part of new Strategy 4m.
Strategy 4c: Collaborate with federal, State, and regional partners, who have geographic
information on biological resources, to help build a biodiversity inventory.
e Remains as new Strategy 4k. "Continue to collaborate" replaces "Collaborate."
Strategy 4d: Assess the need for hiring a County staff member with expertise in conservation
biology, and/or training existing County staff in principles of conservation biology to assist in
development of the Action Plan and coordination with other County actions.
e Remains as new Strategy Al. "Retain a position for a County staff member" replaces "Assess
the need for hiring a County staff member."
Strategy 4e: Encourage the use of locally native plants in landscaping to protect and provide
habitat for native biodiversity, to save water, and to connect landowners to the local ecosystem.
e Remains as new Strategy 4g. "Locally native plants" replaces "native plants."
Strategy 4f: Increase the community's awareness of the importance of biodiversity to encourage
protection of biological resources.
e Remains as new Strategy 4i.
Strategy 4g: Provide information to potential land subdividers on the importance of protecting
habitat when creating lots for development.
e Removed as a strategy from the Natural Resources Chapter. This is covered more thoroughly
by Strategy 2h in the Rural Area Chapter.
Strategy 4h: Preserve existing vegetation in areas shown as Parks and Green Systems on
Development Area Master Plans.
e Remains as new Strategy 4d.
ilt
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M
Proposed New Set of Comp Plan Strategies:
Strategy 4a: Implement an Action Plan for Biodiversity that includes protection of significant areas
of biological importance in the County.
• Retained from current Strategy 4a. "Implement an action plan" replaces "Develop an action
plan."
Strategy 4b: Use existing tools (e.g., conservation easements), develop strategies, and implement
new conservation programs to protect lands in the three conservation focus areas, other conservation
targets (e.g., examples of the five key ecosystems described below, large forest blocks or other
intact, important habitat), and lands that can serve as habitat corridors or connections among
important habitat areas.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 4c: Protect and conserve natural resources on County -owned land to enhance biodiversity.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 4d: Preserve existing vegetation in areas shown as Parks and Green Systems on
Development Area Master Plans.
• Retained from current Strategy 4h.
Strategy 4e: Revise criteria for ACE (Acquisition of Conservation Easement Program) and ACEA
(Albemarle Conservation Easement Authority, formerly the Public Recreational Facilities Authority)
easement applications to more accurately identify biodiversity resources and conservation needs.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 4f: Take steps to conserve and protect high priority Important Sites in the County.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 49: Encourage the use of locally native plants in landscaping to protect and provide
habitat for native biodiversity, to save water, and to connect landowners to the local ecosystem.
• Retained from current Strategy 4e. "Locally native plants" replaces "native plants."
Strategy 4h: Collaborate with resource management agencies, partners, and landowners to
manage non-native invasive species to reduce their impacts and limit their spread.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 4i: Include aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement with strategies for water quality
when developing the comprehensive water resources plan.
• A new strategy.
Strategy 48: Increase the community's awareness of the importance of biodiversity to encourage
protection of biological resources.
• Retained from current Strategy 4f.
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Strategy 4k: Continue to collaborate with federal, State, and regional partners, who have
geographic information on biological resources, to help build a biodiversity inventory.
• Retained from current Strategy 4c. "Continue to collaborate" replaces "Collaborate."
Strategy 41: Retain a position for a County staff member with expertise in conservation biology.
• Retained from current Strategy 4d. "Retain a position for a County staff member" replaces
"Assess the need for hiring a County staff member."
Strateav 4m: Develop indicators and monitor data that reflect the state of biodiversity in the
County. Regularly repeat the land use/land-cover data -gathering process (as begun in 2009) for
the purpose of monitoring landscape changes.
• This incorporates, but is much broader than, the current Strategy 4b.
3
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