 National Association of Counties * Washington, DC / Vol. 30, No. 8 * April 27, 1998 In the face of rapid suburban development, DuPage County launched its Natural Areas Study, an effort to identify remaining open space preservation opportunities within the county. County staff developed and implemented the study with funding assistance provided by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, a countywide natural resources management team. The study included several key components. Staff first analyzed more than 15,000 sites totaling 27,000 acres of land spotlighting natural areas and features, connections to regional and local open space, and cultural and archeological resources. Next, they analyzed 892 acres of potential redevelopment sites where new development is possible or intensified development is expected in the future. A third component was the identification of 22 tools, such as conservation easements and tax incentives, available to the public and private sector to use for open space preservation. Finally, they put together an environmental geographic database which can be used in future planning studies and can assist decision makers in evaluating environmental features of specific land sites. The study's results and the information gathered are being used in a variety of ways by regional, countywide, citizen and private groups interested in protecting remaining valuable open areas. Some examples include a land donation by a private land owner to a local park district, consideration of a countywide bond referendum for new open space land acquisition and the public acquisition of a site adjacent to an existing natural area, which was threatened by possible nonresidential development. When developers requested permits to develop near wetland areas, Clackamas County often experienced difficulty in identifying which wetlands were to be preserved. The customary method of waiting until an application was filed to determine the county's regulatory position created uncertainty and confusion. With frustration running high on both sides, the county determined that the best way to eliminate this uncertainty was to clearly identify which wetlands it would regulate. As a result, the county initiated the Wetlands Inventory and Protection Program. This program has three components. The first component is an inventory of the wetlands. The county, with the help of a consultant, performs field surveys to locate wetlands in a 22-square mile area. These field surveys include an evaluation of the functions and values of the wetlands, including water quality, fish and wildlife. The second component is the evaluation of these wetlands through a comparative analysis that considers their significance in preserving both functions and values. This process considers four principal elements: environmental, social, economic and energy. The analysis also considers the consequences of development versus preservation. This review results in decisions that determine which wetlands merited protection and which are of such poor quality that regulative protective measures are unwarranted. The final element of this project is zoning the identified "significant" wetlands for protection. This requires a substantial effort that includes notifying the affected property owners about the surveys and their use in determining the wetlands' significance. It also requires drafting policies and regulatory provisions to use when considering potential developments in or near significant wetlands. After a series of public hearings, the county zones the significant wetlands for local regulative protections. The program has provided the county with clear regulations and standards when encountering wetlands in the planning of developments. When a developer or property owner inquires about the development opportunities of a specific property, the county can now review the wetland analysis and disclose its regulatory interests, as well as the property's relative value for development. Programs described in "Hats off" columns are selected from the winners of 1997 NACo Achievement Awards. For more information on these programs, contact the NACo Research Division at 202-393-6226. (Hats off was compiled by Peggy Beardslee, research associate.)
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