Introduction
Overview : Introduction
Natural Resources provide the goods and services that sustain our
lives. There are two types of Natural Resources, marketable and
non-marketable.
Timber, minerals, energy sources, water and land are commonly
recognized raw materials from natural resources which are developed into
marketable products such as lumber, ores, oil and electricity, real
estate, and drinking water. Products manufactured from natural assets
are easily assigned prices and traded in the marketplace. The economic
values of natural resources and the resulting products are determined by
the market demand and availability of the raw materials.
Other goods and services come from undisturbed resources or ecosystems.
Those services include clean air and water and the psychological and
physical health benefits humans receive from exposure to natural
environments. Some people will attempt to put a monetary value on the
mere existence of a natural feature or an undisturbed ecosystem even
though no markets exist on which to trade them. The non-marketable goods
and services from undisturbed ecosystems provide economic value to
society in the essential contributions they provide to the quality of
our lives.
Natural Areas are sites that are largely undisturbed by humans. Native
vegetation is distributed in naturally occurring patterns across the
landscape. These patterns change over time under the influence of
drought, flooding, fires, and the interactions between plants and
wildlife.
Green Infrastructure
Natural resources are a fundamental building block of every city, township,
and county. Just as each community has a "gray infrastructure" of streets and utilities, communities also have
a "green infrastructure" of the natural systems in and around them.
Green Infrastructure is defined as the "interconnected green space network that conserves natural ecosystem values
and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations." It includes wildlife refuges, working landscapes
(farms and managed forests), regional and state parks and reserves, community natural areas, greenways/conservation corridors,
and more.
Greenways are continuous or patchy areas of vegetation that provide corridors for the movement of humans and wildlife. They often follow natural waterways or land features, and they may connect natural areas or other community resources such as cultural institutions.
Five Functional Categories of Open Space
Every open space or green space can serve a number of functions in your community,
and falls within one or more of the following functional categories:
- Natural Resource Protection: protecting habitat, plant and animal communities, and environmental amenities
like water and soil. Includes natural areas, rare & endangered habitats, riparian buffers, and aquifer recharge areas.
- Working Lands: providing natural-resource based commodities. Includes areas like farms, timber stands, and mining
areas that are actively managed and critical to local economies.
- Outdoor Recreation: providing places for active and passive recreation. Includes ball fields, parks, trails,
water features, and nature areas used for activities like sports, picnicking, fishing, hiking, or bird watching.
- Public Health & Safety: protecting people and property from natural hazards like flooding, water supply
contamination, and property loss. Includes flood prone areas, well head protection areas, water supply reservoirs, steep
slopes and unsuitable soils.
- Community Character: giving your community a sense of itself. Includes historic sites, town squares, scenic vistas
and other places treasured by local people.
It's very important that communities are clear about the intended use and management of their existing and planned open spaces or green spaces.
By thinking in these functional terms, your community can effectively define and plan for all its natural resource related needs, now and in the future.
A community's green infrastructure is like a bank account of natural capital that must be managed like the principal in an endowment fund. To continue
to serve the community, its green infrastructure needs investments, maintenance and monitoring just like a community's roads, schools, and sewer systems.
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NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION AREAS
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NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AREAS
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OUTDOOR RECREATION AREAS
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AREAS FOR
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PROTECTION OF
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PUBLIC HEALTH
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AND SAFETY
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AREAS THAT DEFINE
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COMMUNITY
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CHARACTER
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