Environmental Equity
Environmental justice and equity in urban and rural communities should be a key component of watershed protection and resource management. Just as no one community should bear the burden of poor environmental conditions, every community should enjoy the benefits of community greening and access to nature.
Local economic conditions and the physical and mental health of residents can often be improved as water quality and resource management are addressed, and every effort should be made to include these co-benefits. Enhancing the quality of life in underserved communities will strengthen the region’s economy, climate resiliency, and overall health.
Community and stakeholder involvement are essential to the planning process and ultimately to project success. Building equity into projects requires that underserved communities be identified and have a voice in defining the opportunities, obstacles, and challenges present in the community.
Greenways are an especially powerful tool for protecting water resources. They can also impact the health and economies of multiple communities, both urban and rural. The size and shape of greenways allow them to have a large impact at a regional scale. They provide habitat connectivity and are compatible with brownfield redevelopment, which allows for some flexibility in their design and location. Greenways that include trails and public access also provide recreational opportunities and health benefits to residents. Further, they increase property values in nearby communities and attract business and tourism. Planning efforts should aim to employ greenways in water resource protection and locate them to provide benefits to and improve the quality of life in underserved communities. Every effort should be made to cross jurisdictional boundaries to create large regional greenways that magnify their ecological and economic impacts.
To increase access to open space and all the health and community benefits that accompany it, investments in natural area restoration and conservation should give special consideration to land in communities that lack access to nature.
Green infrastructure can be woven throughout the urban environment and directly touch and impact the lives of urban residents. It not only protects water quality, reduces the frequency of stormwater overflows and mitigates flooding; It also improves air quality, reduces air and surface temperatures, combats noise pollution, improves aesthetics and creates community identity and pride. Green infrastructure creates pockets of nature that benefit wildlife and improve the mental health and cognitive function of residents. Efforts to install green infrastructure should focus first on underserved urban communities that lack access to nature and tend to suffer most from the health impacts of pollution.
Enhancing the urban tree canopy should be a primary goal of planning efforts in underserved urban communities. Not only do trees provide all the services associated with green infrastructure; they also increase property values, reduce heating and cooling costs, and prevent the formation of urban heat islands.
Flood mitigation efforts should prioritize vulnerable populations lacking the means to relocate out of the flood plain.
The health of shallow domestic wells in rural areas are of particular concern. Programs that test the water quality of these wells and help to remediate unsafe drinking water should be explored and invested in. Outreach efforts should strongly advocate for measures that limit risks to drinking water.
Landfill and superfund sites in the region are primarily located near vulnerable rural communities, putting them at risk of water contamination. Proactive approaches should be taken to limit these risks to public health and the environment.