Laserfiche WebLink
2001 Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />C. Implementation Strategies <br /> <br />The following strategies are a suggested means to achieving the goals set forth in the <br />Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management element of the <br />Comprehensive Plan. <br /> <br />Data and Information inventory <br />A critical step in being able to implement an Environmental Protection and Natural <br />Resources Management plan is to have information that can be analyzed. Such <br />information might include native species, rare habitat, wetlands, soils, diseased areas, <br />septic system problems or other significant natural resource information. Much of this <br />data is already available from federal, state, county or local agencies: however, this <br />data is often outdated, in a variety of different formats (which makes analysis <br />difficult) or too general to provide analysis information. With advances in modern <br />technology, federal, regional and local governments have been able to provide <br />information in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) making data management and <br />information analysis much more feasible and cost effective. The financial ability to <br />establish such a comprehensive inventory could be made possible through supportive <br />funding by the City in partnership with such agencies as the DNR, Office of <br />Environmental Assistance, Department of Agriculture, private foundations and local <br />businesses. Significant research and grant writing would be involved in securing <br />funding for such an analysis and inventory. A critical element of building an inventory <br />of data is having a database that can manage it and allow easy cost effective retrieval <br />and analysis. <br /> <br />ge <br /> <br />The Greenway <br />Greenway corridors mainly include natural resources such as wetlands, hydric soils, <br />tree canopy, natural vegetation, and unique wildlife habitat. It also includes some <br />lands that may not be environmentally unique but instead simply create a link between <br />other open space areas such as parks or wetlands. Some of the elements within <br />greenways are protected through ordinance or other legal means, while others are not. <br />These corridors may be environmentally sensitive areas, which allow for protection of <br />water quality, wildlife movement, scenic views, and a continuous trail system. The <br />intent of the Greenway is not to prohibit development within this corridor but rather to <br />preserve the existing resource base and return areas to their natural state where <br />possible. <br /> <br />The corridor boundary reflecting the Greenway is not a fixed boundary fine. <br />This boundary is intended to reflect general (broad) areas that may fall within <br />the Greenway designation, and should send a message to the developers of <br />land; near or obviously within the greenway to develop in the highest <br />environmentally sensitive way possible. <br /> <br />Implementation of the greenway could be handled in a couple of ways. It could be <br />implemented by creating an overlay-zoning ordinance that simply places a layer of <br />regulation over existing zoning districts. This overlay would not replace existing <br />environmental overlay ordinances nor would it be intended to further restrict areas <br />already regulated by existing ordinances rather it would guide development in areas <br />that are not covered by existing environmental ordinances. If the overlay ordinance is <br /> <br />2001 Ramsey Comprehensive Plan <br />Amended February 26, 2002 <br /> <br />Page XIII- 7 <br /> <br /> <br />