Constrained Policies

OPEN SPACE AND HABITATHOW OPEN SPACEPOLICES PRODUCEMULTIPLE BENEFITSAir Quality: The United Nationsestimates that a tree uses photosynthesisto reduce about 2 tons ofCO 2in its lifetime. As such, maintainingand planting more treescan reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Open spaces and particularly treescan provide much needed shade inurban areas, relieving the “heatisland effect” that can exacerbateconditions for creating smog.Agricultural soils help sequesterabout 0.8% of carbon released bycombustion of fossil fuels. Methodssuch as no-till farming, residuemulching, and cover croppingused in organic farming can helpsequester carbon emissions.Solid Waste: Greater emphaseson infill development and greenbuilding practices will help reduceconstruction-related waste.Open Space and Habitat–Natural Lands Goals Ensure a sustainable ecology by protecting and enhancingthe region’s open space infrastructure and mitigategrowth and transportation related impacts to naturallands by:Conserving natural lands that are necessaryto preserve the ecological function and valueof the region’s ecosystems;Conserving wildlife linkages as criticalcomponents of the region’s open spaceinfrastructure;Coordinating transportation and open spaceto reduce transportation impacts to naturallandsOpen Space and Habitat–Natural LandsOutcomes By 2035, increase the amount of protected open spacein the region by at least 700,000 2 acres of natural landsthat include important core areas, 3 wildlife linkages, havespecial status habitats or species and/or buffer protectednatural lands from development. The number of acresprotected would be roughly proportionate to the urbanfootprint of the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan.By 2012, put in place approved conservation strategiesfor all regionally significant wildlife linkages.31