Presentation for the Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference on March 29, 2019 in Cambridge, MA

1. Shaping the Future of
Land Use in MA
Local Tools and Strategies
March 29, 2019
Lauren de la Parra, Coordinator
ldelaparra@massaudubon.org
MA Sustainable Communities & Campuses Conference
Cambridge, MA

2. Overview
• Development and Climate Change
• Tools for Sustainable Land Use Planning
• Mass Audubon Resources
• LID Fact Sheets
• Mapping and Prioritizing Parcels for Resilience (MAPPR)
• Bylaw Review
• State Resources
• Community Preservation Act (CPA)
• Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP)
• Questions

3. What’s the problem?
Development is sprawling

4. Losing Ground
Losing Ground, Mass Audubon, 2014

5. Natural Lands for Resiliency and Values
• Carbon sequestration
• Clean Water
• Food
• Flood prevention
• Habitat
• Tourism
• Recreation
• Health
• Property Values
• Quality of Life

6. Sources: MAPC and Mass Housing Partnership
• 400,000 new housing
units needed in Metro
Boston area
• Current housing
shortage 38,000
• Workforce housing
needed – affordable and
mid-range
Housing Projections 2010 – 2030

7. impervious
surfacesincreased
precipitation
stormwater &
WQ issues
flooding &
infrastructure
damage
increased
temperature
heat-related
illnesses
Climate change
Sprawling
Development
stresses to
natural
environment

8. Low Impact Development (LID)
• Treats water as a resource, not
just a waste product
• Manages stormwater as close to
its source as possible
• Preserves natural landscape by
recreating natural features

9. Protect what we have & develop smarter
Dual Threat - What do we do about it?
1. Conserve the natural GI already providing free ecosystem services
2. Integrate LID and green infrastructure design into development
3. Restore local resiliency through LID in redevelopment

10. Tools for Your Community
Mass Audubon Resources:
• LID Fact Sheets
• Mapping and Prioritizing
Parcels for Resilience (MAPPR)
• Bylaw Review Tool
State Resources:
• Community Preservation Act
(CPA)
• Municipal Vulnerability
Preparedness Program (MVP)

11. MAPPR:
Mapping And Prioritizing Parcels for Resilience
• Adjacent to Protected Land
• Under-protected Settings
BioMap2:
Habitat, Biodiversity
TNC Resilience:
Climate Adaptation
Critical Linkages:
Ecological Connectivity
• Parcel Size
• Block Size

12. MAPPR: 3 Steps
Select a study area
Town, county,
watershed, DFW
district, or land trust
region
Choose model
Choose a pre-calculated
model (balanced,
resilience, aquatic, or
biological)
Choose specific model
values
Run & Review Results
Review results, including
priority scoring and parcel
ownership
Adjust optional filters and
constraints
1 2 3

14. Mapping Local Priorities
Higher # of criteria
Lower # of critera

15. www.massaudubon.org/mappr

16. • Review existing bylaws
• ID ends of “conventional”
and “best”
• Draft summary and
recommendations
• Edit, Submit
• ID administrative vs. town
meeting changes
• Check up and alignment
• Are your resilience goals
reflected in your bylaws?
• If so, how?
• If not, what might barriers be?
Bylaw Review:
Why How

17. Factors Conventional Better Best
GOAL 1: PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES AND OPEN
SPACE
Soils managed for
revegetation
Not addressed
Limitations on removal from
site, and/or requirements
for stabilization and
revegetation
Prohibit removal of topsoil
from site. Require rototilling
and other prep of soils
compacted during
construction
Limit clearing, lawn
size, require retention
or planting of native
vegetation/naturalized
areas
Not addressed or general
qualitative statement not tied to
other design standards
Encourage minimization of
clearing/ grubbing
Require minimization of
clearing/grubbing with specific
standards
Require native
vegetation and trees
Require or recommend
invasive species
Not addressed, or mixture
of required plantings of
native and nonnative
Require at least 75% native
plantings

20. Tools for Your Community
Mass Audubon Resources:
• LID Fact Sheets
• Mapping and Prioritizing Parcels
for Resilience (MAPPR)
• Bylaw Review Tool
State Resources:
• Community Preservation Act
(CPA)
• Municipal Vulnerability
Preparedness Program (MVP)

21. Community
Preservation Act
(CPA)
• Adopted by ballot measure
• 1-3% surcharge on local
property taxes
• State matching funds
• 11.57% in FY 2020
• Additional rounds for 3%
• At least 10% to each of:
• Affordable Housing
• Open Space and Recreation
• Historic Preservation
175 communities

23. Planning Grant
Open now, rolling applications through May 4, 2019
$15,000 - $100,000
Completed by June 30, 2020
Action Grant
Open now, rolling applications through April 19, 2019
$25,000 - $2,000,000
Completed by June 30, 2020
Two MVP Grant Opportunities

25. Co-Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions

26. MVP Action Grants – Eligible Projects
• Detailed vulnerability and risk assessment and further planning
• Community outreach and education
• Redesigns and retrofits
• Energy resilience strategies
• Nature-based solutions to reduce extreme
heat and poor air quality
• Nature-based flood protection, drought
prevention, water quality and water
infiltration techniques
• Acquisition of land to achieve a resiliency
objective
• Local bylaws, ordinances, plans, standards,
and other management measures
• And more…
MVP Ensuring Success Webinar Series
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/ensuring-success-webinars-municipal-
vulnerability-preparedness-mvp-programs-tool

27. Resources for Nature-Based Solutions
Bylaws/Ordinances
• EEA’s Smart Growth Toolkit access to information on planning, zoning, subdivision, site design, and building construction techniques
• Guide for Supporting LID in Local Land Use Regulations provides a framework for review of local zoning, rules, and regulations for a number of factors.
Guidance/Case Studies
• Naturally Resilient Communities successful project case studies from across the country to help communities learn and identify nature-based solutions
• EPA’s Soak Up the Rain stormwater outreach tools, how-to guides and resources
• EPA’s RAINE database of vulnerability, resilience and adaptation reports, plans and webpages at the state, regional and community level.
• Climate Action Tool explore adaptation strategies and actions to help maintain healthy, resilient wildlife communities in the face of climate change.
Cost/Benefit
• EPA’s Green Infrastructure cost/cost-benefit/tools Database of tools for comparing solution costs
• Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration’s economic benefits of aquatic restoration based on MA case studies
• The Value of Nature-based Solutions by Center for Neighborhood Technology
Mapping/Planning
• Mapping and Prioritizing Parcels for Resilience (MAPPR) ID priority parcels for protection and climate change resilience
• Living Shorelines in New England: State of the Practice and
• Profile Pages for Solutions are case studies, siting criteria, and regulatory challenges for coastal resilience in New England.
• Low Impact Development Fact Sheets cover valuing green infrastructure, conservation design and development, regulations, urban waters, and cost calculations.
• Green Infrastructure Network models priority undeveloped, unprotected resilient land in the Taunton Watershed

28. Thank You!
Questions??
Lauren de la Parra, Coordinator
ldelaparra@massaudubon.org
www.massaudubon.org/shapingthefuture