Integration of National-Level Geospatial Ecological Tools and Data.

摘要

The purpose of this report is to document the methods and results of the project, Integration of National-Level Geospatial Ecological Tools and Data. This project was carried out under the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2), within the Capacity focus area. There are four chapters to this report. Chapter 1 presents the background and purpose of the project. Chapter 2 discusses the methods used to carry out the project and major outcomes of each task, and Chapter 3 describes the products. Chapter 4 lists the conclusions and insights for the future. References follow. 1.2 SHRP 2 Capacity Program The charge from Congress to SHRP 2 Capacity is to develop approaches for systematically integrating environmental, economic, and community requirements into the analysis, planning, and design of new highway capacity. The scope of the SHRP 2 Capacity program extends from the early stages of the transportation planning process, when many potential alternatives are being considered, through project development. 1.3 Prior Research Transportation practitioners are experts at planning, developing, designing, and building infrastructure projects that will address transportation needs. However, as stewards of the environment and the public interest, they must also consider the potential impacts of transportation on the environment. To do this well, partnerships are formed with agencies whose primary mission is to protect these resources. While this seems straightforward and simple, anyone who has been part of a complex environmental study understands the balancing act and trade-offs that result when trying to address a transportation need and protect resources. The challenges are further compounded by discrete agency missions, the lack of accessible data, and insufficient interagency collaboration. Substantial strides have been made in addressing the process and policy-related challenges that impede integrated transportation and ecological decision making. The development of Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects (Eco-Logical) initiated the necessary partnership (Bosworth et al. 2006). The nine signatory agencies of Eco-Logical recognized the mutual benefit of an ecosystem approach to infrastructure planning and development for both the environment and the transportation process. These partners worked to develop and articulate their “. . . shared vision of an enhanced and sustainable natural environment, combined with the view that necessary infrastructure can be developed in ways that are more sensitive to terrestrial and aquatic habitats” (Bosworth et al. 2006). The effort resulted in a conceptual framework to integrate plans across agencies and endorsed ecosystem-based mitigation.