SCAG is in the process of developing the SoCal Greenprint, a web-mapping application to help users make data-driven land use and transportation infrastructure decisions and support conservation investments.
The goals of the project are to:
- Balance regional growth with environment challenges such as drought, climate change, and habitat loss
- Better prioritize lands for mitigation that have regional conservation benefits
- Help expedite project delivery and reduce uncertainty by identifying potential environmental issues early in project development
- Support infrastructure development while protecting important natural resources
- Address the lack of consistent, regional data and tools that can be used across sectors to inform land use decisions
- Help guide conservation investments and communicate the multiple benefits of natural resources, agricultural lands, and urban greening to people and communities
The SoCal Greenprint advances the 2020 Connect SoCal Plan’s specified goals to “promote conservation of natural and agricultural lands and restoration of habitats” and to balance the region’s need for increased housing production with environmental protection. Development of the SoCal Greenprint is also required by mitigation measures of Connect SoCal’s Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR).
Deliverables
Once completed, the SoCal Greenprint will serve as an optional, flexible, and open regional conservation-focused data and mapping tool for the six counties in the SCAG region. While it will be freely accessible, it is being designed for use by county transportation commissions, municipalities, conservation groups, researchers, and developers.
The SoCal Greenprint is intended to be easy to use for anyone regardless of their experience with geographic information systems (GIS) and web-mapping. It will aggregate existing, publicly available, and government agency-informed data into an interactive webmap that allows users to toggle between individual and multiple layers.
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WHAT IT IS
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WHAT IT IS NOT
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Data tool to advance the pace and scale of voluntary conservation in a region.
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An acquisition map or regulatory plan that puts constraints on land use for any public or private entity.
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Data tool that identifies landscape features that are important to residents and communities, like recreation, habitat, water resources, habitat, climate change resiliency or community.
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A complete inventory of everything important within an area or new data set.
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Data tool that illustrates how conservation values may work in concert with each other and with other values.
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A comprehensive solution for natural resource protection.
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Data tool that helps stakeholders understand shared priorities and facilitates collaboration.
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A requirement that stakeholders engage in projects.
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Data tool that addresses the needs and opportunities for keeping working and agricultural lands viable.
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An effort to subvert private property rights.
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Status and Timeline
Background
Work on the SoCal Greenprint started in 2020. In 2021, SCAG’s Regional Council directed staff to pause the implementation of the SoCal Greenprint to hold a public hearing and engage with stakeholders. After a robust public engagement process, in October of 2021 Regional Council directed SCAG to work with a 5-member advisory task group of the Regional Council on establishing a policy framework for advanced mitigation in the SCAG region to ensure the Greenprint is aligned with policy objectives.
The resulting policy framework, approved in February 2023, directed SCAG to form a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide key stakeholder input to ensure that data provided through the SoCal Greenprint aligns with the SCAG’s RAMP Policy Framework and fulfillment of the Connect SoCal PEIR mitigation measures. Membership of the TAC is designed to represent expected primary user groups of the SoCal Greenprint tool and government agencies who may participate in a RAMP. TAC meetings shall be open to the public and each meeting will include the opportunity for public comment.
Next Steps
- Summer 2023: Hold TAC Meetings
- Fall 2023: Present TAC Recommendations for approval by Energy and Environment Committee (EEC) and Regional Council (RC)
- Early 2024: Complete Beta Testing
- Spring 2024: Complete SoCal Greenprint
*Timeline is tentative
Contact
India Brookover
Senior Regional Planner
Email: brookover@scag.ca.gov
