Conservation Development
A total of thirteen workshops have been delivered to date
The CTP, in partnership with DEM and Grow Smart RI, delivered thirteen Conservation Development workshops to local planning board and town council members, town planners, engineers, developers, surveyors, and others. The trainings guided participants in how to critically review submitted development proposals so that valuable open space is retained, sensitive ecological features are protected and stormwater impacts are mitigated to improve and protect the integrity of Narragansett Bay . The CTP and DEM also delivered several targeted Conservation Development presentations to specific towns within the Narragansett Bay Watershed and at other local venues.
The workshops were instructed by Scott Millar of RIDEM's Planning and Development Office, lead developer of the Conservation Development Manual and a former planning board member. Participants:
• Learned how conservation development fits into the Rhode Island legal framework for subdivision review and how it can benefit their community
• Participated in a hands-on exercise to practice applying conservation development principles to an actual site
• Took advantage of ample discussion time to get their questions answered
• Received a binder with extensive resources
Program Results
• nine towns have adopted Conservation Development ordinances
• Exeter , Burrillville, Glocester, Middletown , North Kingstown, North Smithfield, Richmond , Smithfield , South Kingstown
• eight towns have completed draft ordinances
• Charlestown , Coventry , Cumberland , Foster, Hopkinton, Little Compton , Scituate , Westerly
• five towns are pending
• Johnston , Portsmouth , Tiverton, Warren , West Greenwich
Therefore, 22 out of the 28 (non-urban and not fully developed) RI communities are implementing Conservation Development at some stage.
For more information or to express interest in attending a Conservation Development workshop please contact Jennifer West, CTP Coordinator, at jennifer@nbnerr.org , or 401-222-4700, x 7413.
Online Resources
Additional Information on Conservation Development can be found at these Websites (listed in no certain order):
National Association of Counties – Local Tools for Smart Growth (PDF)
Mississippi – Twice Green (PDF)
Milwaukee River Basin Partnership
Jordan Cove, CT Annual Report (PDF)
The Conservation Fund – Green Infrastructure (PDF)
ARC's Conservation Subdivisions Tool (PDF)
Calendar
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Community Connection RI
Click on this link to access a calendar of events created by the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve CTP and GrowSmart RI.
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