More protection has been put in place since the adoption of the 2001 Legacy Plan for watersheds, floodplains and wetland protection. However, Natural Heritage sites are for the most part in private ownership and are not protected from development. 
How important is it to protect these sites? What policies or strategies can be developed that will make land use conservation and the reuse/redevelopment of existing sites economically feasible and a desirable option for future development?
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12 comments:
Tax incentives to leave land undeveloped have worked in other states. On the flip side, tax incentives to use and build on land close to or part of multi-use, high density locations has also worked in other areas. We need to steer the developers towards the sustainable choices of land use. Updating zoning to promote sustainable land use is another tool that can be used.
Very important to do this
Trails and such low-impact recreation opportunities will attract more people to support the expansion of natural parkland acquisition and preservation.
Extremely important - there are no do-overs! Once we develop and change our historic sites, it is nearly impossible to reverse those changes in today's climate.
Very important.
Natural historic sites must be preserved & activated (i.e. Old Salem & Bethabara) for community use/ enjoyment
Our rural lands are our natural heritage - preserve them
Put higher taxes on developers who do not use redevelopment sites.
It is very important. Conversation of these sites should be part & parcel for approval of future development.
Explain & publicize benefits of conservation easements.
Work closely with Piedmont Land Conservancy & other groups to document what we have before it is gone & to justify preservation.
Extremely important for our sense of place
What tax credit already support to some extent - implement program to acquire and/or accept property donations for preservation
We should have an inventory of important Natural Heritage Sites, with financial incentives to encourage their protection, especially when development encroaches or the property changes hands.
It is very important to protect these areas; however, Forsyth County’s natural heritage has been drastically diminished in the last century or so. Due to this degradation, every bit of our ecosystem that can be protected or enhanced should be to try to recreate what we have lost. As an example, the Bog turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii (NCT, FT S/A) was known from the county a couple of decades ago. This species is very likely extirpated in recent years. The best opportunity to do this is to re-develop previously built areas that have collectively and cumulatively destroyed our environment.
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