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Promoting Low Impact Development Action Plan

About the new Buzzards Bay CCMP Action Plans
The Buzzards Bay NEP is now updating our 1992 landmark Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to reflect the great progress achieved since that plan was finalized. It will include new goals, objectives, and recommendations to meet the environmental needs for Buzzards Bay and its surrounding watershed into the next decade of the 21^st century. This new document will also meet the requirements for a Massachusetts Watershed Action Plan, which will enable new funding opportunities through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

On this page is a draft action plan from the updated Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and planned 2009-2014 Watershed Action Plan. The text on this page is a public draft provided to invite comment and discussion of the subject by residents and stakeholders. It may contain goals and recommendations that have not yet been endorsed or approved by the Buzzards Bay Steering Committee. The views or information contained here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the US Environmental Protection Agency.

We want your feedback on this action plan. At the bottom of this page is a link for you to provide comments on each goal, objective and recommendation contained in this Action Plan. Based on your feedback, we will update and revise all the action plans in the new CCMP.

Action Plan 3: Promoting Low Impact Development

To fully understand the basis of these goals and recommendations, please read (left click) or download (right click) the complete LID Action Plan (10/23/06 draft 56 kb pdf).

Goals

1. To encourage low-impact development (LID) and redevelopment that minimizes and/or eliminates environmental impacts.

Objectives

1. Promote incentives to developers and project proponents to incorporate LID into project site designs.

2. Provide training to local and state regulatory officials and developers/designers on LID.

3. Adopt and implement LID bylaws regulations, and policies at the local and state governmental level.

Recommendations and Commitments

3.1 The Buzzards Bay NEP should promote adoption of LID Bylaws and unified regulations.

3.2 The BBNEP should develop a comparison of the costs and impacts of conventional development vs. LID and smart growth development, and provide this information to the municipalities.

3.3 The BBNEP should develop an inventory of pilot LID implementation projects and provide a guidance document and map that identifies the location, site information, costs, benefits and specific data relative to the project.

3.4 The US EPA should promote LID through funding and partnership building, as part of nation-wide Smart Growth initiatives.

3.5 NRCS should work with EPA to incorporate LID hydrology into the TR-55 model used by engineers and regulators.

3.6 EEA should showcase LID through a series of demonstration projects.

3.7 MEPA should require the submission of an LID alternatives analysis for commercial and residential projects that meet MEPA thresholds (for land, rare species, wetlands, water, wastewater, transportation and ACEC) for EIRs.

3.8 EEA should keep its LID Model Bylaw and Smart Growth Toolkit up-to-date.

3.9. MA CZM should continue to sponsor the LID Working Group that meets monthly and provides education and outreach to a wide range of participants.

3.10. DEP, with EEA and MCZM guidance, should complete the update of MA Stormwater Standards and Policy.

3.11 State Board of Building regulations should revise the State Building Codes to require LID measures.

3.12 SRPEDD and CCC should continue to provide LID training and outreach and education to municipalities and developers. CCC should incorporate LID into their Regional Policy Plan and apply these standards to projects under their regulatory review.

3.13 Each Buzzards Bay community should adopt an LID Bylaw and revise Planning Board, Conservation Commission and other applicable board regulations to reflect the new code.

3.14 Local government staff and municipalities board members should attending LID training meetings and workshops to learn about sustainable development practices

3.15. The development industry should promote the adoption of LID Bylaws.



To fully understand the basis of these goals and recommendations, please read (left click) or download (right click) the complete LID Action Plan (10/23/06 draft 56 kb pdf).

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