Planners, government officials, communities members, developers and others with an interest in minimizing impacts to wildlife and natural resources in land use and transportation planning can attend the Green Growth Toolbox workshop Nov. 8 in Jacksonville.
Hosted by Onslow County planning department at the Onslow County Government Center, registration for the Green Growth Toolbox is online as well as the agenda.
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Participants can learn how to use the Green Growth Toolbox developed by the state Wildlife Commission. The nonregulatory tool provides information on how to conserve declining, priority wildlife habitat in land use planning, focusing on incentives and removing regulatory and other barriers to conservation.
Attendees also can learn about the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, an information clearinghouse on the conservation of the rarest and most outstanding elements of natural diversity in the state, as well as the Natural Heritage Data Explorer website created by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program and ‘NatureServe’ to improve public access to natural heritage data. Workshop participants will be eligible for a subscription and an account with enhanced data access by completing this portion of the workshop training.
Planners who take Green Growth Toolbox workshops are eligible to apply for funding through our Partners for Green Growth cost-share program and 5.5 Continuing Education Credits will be requested for American Institute of Certified Planners, North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects and National Association of Environmental Professionals.
The Toolbox has been used in 55 plans and incentive-based ordinances across the state, according to the Wildlife Resources Commission. Using the Toolbox in conservation development incentives and hazard planning can also help to minimize the effects of natural disasters. NCDOT recommends that conservation data is used as a first step in transportation planning through the Integrated Project Delivery process.