Land And Water Use

Part 4

URBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT

Urban Development

• Planned Development– 76 million residential buildings and 5

million commercial buildings in the US– Use 1/3 of all energy and 2/3 of all

electricity consumed in US

Urban Development

• The Green Approach

Urbanization

• Pros • Cons

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Federal Highway System• 160,000 miles of roadway• Federal highways receive substantial

federal funding but state owned, built, operated

• Federal highway tax– 18¢ gas tax– 25¢ diesel tax– Tax on heavy vehicles

Federal Highway System• Benefits

• Impacts on Environment

PUBLIC AND FEDERAL LANDS

National Parks

• 1,100 national parks in world– Largely unprotected due to cost

• 84 million acres in US– Alaska = 16% of entire system

Threats to National Parks

Reducing the Threat

Relevant Laws

• National Park Service Act 1916– Establishes national park service

• Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 1968– Ensures protection of river’s unique

environment– Preserves select rivers– 4 rivers in NC

Wildlife Refuges

• Developed to protect wildlife during times of crisis

• Managed by US Fish and Wildlife Service

Wetlands

• High plant productivity• High biodiversity• 50% of US wetlands have been

altered or destroyed– Urbanization – 10%– Agriculture – 90%

• 1/3 of all endangered species spend part of lifecycle in wetlands

Wetlands

• Types of wetlands– Fen:– Bog:–Marsh:– Swamp:

Wetlands

• Wetland Services

LAND CONSERVATION

Conservation Options

• Preservation• Remediation• Mitigation• Restoration

Principles in Land Conservation

• Protect biodiversity, habitats, and function through monitoring

• Adopt a user pay approach• Require responsibility of any user

who damages or alters public lands

Principles in Land Conservation

• Reduce road building• Rely on more sustainable tree-cutting

methods• Reduce fragmentation