Environmental Corridors

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

Waterways

Floodplains

Wetlands

Steep Slopes

Reports

• Environmental Corridors of the Bay-Lake Region, 2012
• Bay-Lake RPC Environmental Corridors Summary Sheet, 2012
• County-Defined Environmental Corridors Summary Sheet, 2012
• Bay-Lake Region Environmental Corridors, 2005

Regional Brochure/Mini-Poster - 2012

County Brochures/Mini-Posters - 2005

Protection Tools

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

• Incorporate environmental corridors into the natural resources/environmental chapters of comprehensive plans and conservation goals
• Ordinance development (conservation subdivisions or shoreland protection)
• Park, open space, and recreational planning
• Zoning land for conservation, recreation, or public utility easements
• Utilize purchase of development rights or transfer of development rights
• Tourism strategies
• Viewshed protection
• Transportation planning and multi-modal planning
• Conservation easement programs
• Public acquisition

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

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

For more information about environmental corridors in the Bay-Lake Region, please contact:
Angela Pierce, Natural Resources Planner III
Phone: (920) 448-2820
Email: apierce@baylakerpc.org

Acknowledgement:

This webpage was made possible through a grant from NOAA and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.