Chapter 8: Landscape Evaluation and Land Use

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Chapter 8 Landscape Evaluation and Land Use

• Earth scientists as part of evaluation team
  provide info on
• site history (previous use)
• physical and chemical properties of Earth
  materials
• soil type, stability/engineering properties, and
  thickness to bedrock
• suitability for waste disposal
• bedrock type, stability/engineering properties
• contamination
• hazard evaluation
• water availability, quantity, quality

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Environmental Geology Maps

• Distribution of geologic, hydrologic, etc. info.
• Interpretive Environmental Geology Maps
• Suitability of areas for a specific land use
• Ideally a series of maps, one for each possible
  land use
• Color code for suitability (yes, maybe, no)
• soil maps
• suitability for landfill
• stable foundations
• slope stability
• groundwater contamination
• earthquake vulnerability, etc.

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Environmental Geology Maps
Map showing the vulnerability of aquifier
contamination, New Mexico
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Environmental Geology Maps
Map showing the major sources of potential
groundwater contamination, New Mexico
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Environmental Geology Maps

• Environmental Resource Units (ERUs)

• Multidisciplinary approach studies total natural
  environment (geo, hydro, bio)
• ERU areas with similar physical and biological
  characteristics
• Used to establish patterns of land use and
  suitability in multidisciplinary approach

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Environmental Geology Maps

• Environmental Resource Units (ERUs)
• 10.4 km2 study site in Morrison Colorado test site

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Environmental Resource Units (ERUs)

• Mountain-forest
• Floodplain forest
• Pleistocene grassland
• Hogback wood and grassland

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Environmental Geology Maps

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

• Computer composite maps capable of storing and
  displaying geographic distribution of anything
• The ability to combine and create maps of the
  combinations is a powerful technique

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Site Selection

• Evaluation of places for various human activities
• Can be quite multidisciplinary
• Assure that development is both possible and
  compatible with local environment
• Want to know all that you can before develop

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Site Selection
Finally proceed to final site evaluation
specific criteria dep on intended use, but 2
common approaches

• 1) Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Assess long-range desirability of a project
• Calculate estimates of total benefits in and
  compare to costs
• Best site has lowest C/B

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Site Selection
Finally proceed to final site evaluation
specific criteria dep on intended use, but 2
common approaches

• 2) Physiographic Determinism
• Apply ecological principles in design
• Maximize social benefit while minimizing social
  costs
• Consider physical, social, aesthetic data of
  site itself do determine proper use and design

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• NEPA (1969) required all major federal actions
  which possibly affect the quality of the
  environment be preceded by an evaluation of the
  project and its impact
• Council of Environmental Quality set forth
  guidelines for EISs (revised in 1979) . The major
  components are
• Summary Statement of purpose and need for the
  project
• Rigorous comparison of reasonable alternatives
• Succinct description of the area to be affected

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• Discussion of the environmental consequences of
  the proposed project and alternatives which must
  include
• Direct and indirect effects
• Energy requirements and conservation
• Resource depletion
• Impact on urban quality and cultural/historical
  resources
• Possible conflicts with state and local land-use
  plans
• Mitigation measures

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• Scoping
• Initial NEPA EIS process criticized for ?
  mountains of paperwork that could obscure
  critical issues
• 1979 revisions introduced concept of scoping
  preliminary identification of major environmental
  issues that require more detailed evaluation
  early in the process

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• Mitigation
• Identify actions that will avoid, lessen, or
  compensate for anticipated adverse impact
• If an action involves a wetland, may either avoid
  the wetland area or compensate by enhancing or
  creating wetland elsewhere
• NEPA requires address of this in EIS, but doesnt
  require implementation of any measures
• However, DEIS is reviewed by many agencies and
  citizens groups that may require action
• Environmental Assessments in cases where full EIS
  deemed unnecessary

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• State Environment Impact Legislation
• About half of the states have followed the
  federal lead, either following NEPA for state and
  municipal projects or enacting their own SEPAs

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• Negative Declarations (Ds of non-significant
  impact)
• Filed when an agency determines no significant
  impact
• In lieu of full EIS much less rigorous and need
  not consider alternatives
• Many try this first, but may be required to do
  full EIS if not grounds for ND
• Mitigated Negative Declarations
• Filed when decided that initial project would ?
  significant environment impact, but that it can
  be modified so as to reduce them to
  insignificance

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Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)

• Big projects use teams of investigators with
  varied expertise
• Good case histories
• Cape Hattaras
• San Joaquin Valley

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Land Use and Planning

• Most land use in USA is agriculture or forest
• Only about 3 or area is urban
• Conversion of rural non-ag is several thousand
  km2/yr
• half wilderness, parks, recreation, wildlife
• half urban, transportation, other facilities
• Scenic Resources

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Land Use Options

• Multiple Use
• Using the same land for gt 1 purpose
• ball field doubles as aquifer recharge basin
• horse trails in floodplain
• wind generators in agricultural fields
• Sequential Use
• One use follows another
• Reclaimed mine used for underground storage,
  waste...
• Walla Walla landfill ballparks
• Gravel pits parking lots

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Land Use Planning

• Nation, State, or City may decide to enact
  land-use legislation for planning

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Comprehensive or General Plans

• Used as a policy guide for development decisions
  over a 10-20 yr period
• Sets forth intended basic land uses
• Indicates zoning and subdivision regulation
• Regulated in separate specific ordinances
• Control slopes, floodplain development, soils...
• Residential
• Commerical
• Industrial
• Open spaces

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Comprehensive or General Plans

• Land Management
• Follow-up to planning
• Possible impacts that need to be monitored
• Natural processes floods, landslides, erosion...
• Impact of human use on chemistry, biology,
  resources...
• Goals
• Protection of lives and property
• Protection of water quality and supply
• Protection of wildlife
• Ecosystem protection
• Recreation and public access
• Emergency Planning (regulation of response)

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Environmental Law

• NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) 1969,
  1977
• EPA establishes and enforces air and water
  quality standards
• Federal Water Pollution Act (1956) req. municipal
  sewage treatment
• Clean Air Act (1963) and Air Quality Act (1965)
  amended in 1970 and 1990 addresses all sorts of
  air pollution (autos, CFCs, ozone...)
• Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965) aimed at
  municipal dumps
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)
• Toxic Substances and Control Act (1976) req.
  tests and control
• Clean Water Act (1977) addresses wider range of
  pollution
• CERCLA (Comprehensive Env. Resource,
  Compensation, and Liability Act) (1980)
  Superfund
• NEPA also set up requirement of EIS or EA (and
  enforces)
• CEQ (Council on Env. Quality) promotes interest
  and research in environment and implements