THE PLAN
Natural Resources

In identifying our natural resources, we can better understand how to conserve, protect, or improve upon them in the years to come.

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Guiding Principles

We believe in...

• Fostering a culture that appreciates and is committed to protecting our natural resources.
• Leading by example - the actions of our employees and our citizens set the standard in our state.
  
• A Columbia that reduces, reuses, and recycles - decreasing our production of waste and pollutants.
  
• Clean and accessible waterways.
  
• A robust urban tree canopy that contributes to the health and beauty of our city.
  
• A Columbia where our natural resources benefit our community's health.
• A prepared and resilient community in the face of our changing climate.
  
• A Columbia powered by clean and sustainable energy.
  
• A data-driven and innovative approach towards natural resource conservation and preservation.
  

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES - NATURAL RESOURCES
At February's public open houses, the project team presented draft recommendations for the next ten years.  These recommendations will be developed in greater detail as we move forward in receiving survey feedback and in the drafting process.

GROW AWARENESS
Partner with state and local agencies, nonprofits, schools/universities, neighborhoods, businesses, and other community groups to grow awareness and affect cultural change.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Examine City policies and practices to identify baseline data, improve efficiencies to conserve resources, harness our buying power, and reduce, reuse, and recycle.

COLLABORATE & MAINTAIN A SYSTEMS APPROACH
​Natural resource issues do not adhere to municipal boundaries - continue watershed-based planning efforts and collaborations, and partner to provide consistent and effective messaging on regional needs and goals.

PLAN FOR RESILIENCY
Identify and implement robust strategies for managing natural hazards and increased strains on resources, including consideration of climate change-related risks.

BE READY FOR 100% CLEAN & RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Invest in clean energy generation for City facilities.
• Invest in and incentivize clean energy usage in development.
• Work with local utility providers to improve efficiencies while prioritizing access for citizens facing the largest energy burdens (financial burdens) and pollution hazards.

TACKLE WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
Work to improve water quality through:

• Education and outreach
• Stream and wetland restoration
• Sustainable stormwater and wastewater infrastructure improvements

PROTECT, PROVIDE, & ENHANCE ACCESS
Protect, provide, and enhance access to:

• The City's rivers and waterways
• Open spaces and natural areas
• A healthy urban tree canopy

DEVELOP THE RIVERFRONT SUSTAINABLY
Set the standard for integrating the rivers into City life in a way that provides public access, brings activity to the riverfront, and protects ecosystem services.

TRACK OUR PROGRESS
Work to identify and gather the data needed to set a baseline and measure both our successes and failures.

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WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?
Natural resources are all around us, even in the urban core.  The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the places we play outside are all resource-driven.  Natural resources provide clean air, water, food, habitat, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and help mitigate extreme weather events.

A recent Clemson study found that natural resource-based sectors contribute $33.4 billion in economic activity to the state's economy and are responsible for 218,719 jobs.

Greenville Business Magazine
January 24, 2018
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Illustrative map of commercial impervious surfaces and road rights-of-way in downtown Columbia

URBAN HEAT ISLANDS:
​THE NEW SOUTHERN HOT SPOTS
Urban areas tend to be hotter than than nearby rural areas because they contain more impervious areas than vegetative natural areas.  These urban areas become "heat islands" because they are warmer than their surroundings.  According to the USEPA, heat islands affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality.

Impervious surfaces are areas which rainwater cannot penetrate - surfaces made of concrete or asphalt, roofs, and highly compacted urban soils cannot support vegetative growth or help filter rainwater.  This map shows (in gray) commercial impervious areas and roadways in a section of Columbia's urban core.

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RESOURCES, ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, & HUMAN VALUE
In considering natural resources, we tend to think of resources individually instead of as part of a system.  The interaction between resources and their functions makes up the natural environment.  Ecological functions are defined in terms of ecosystem services - for example, trees can provide clean air, water, and shade.  However, the value of those services to people is difficult to quantify.  What value do you assign to tree-lined streets, clean rivers, and sustainable local agriculture?  While we often forget about ecological functions, without them the human value would not be present.
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​WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM
A watershed is a defined area of land that channels rainfall (and snowmelt) to creeks, streams, rivers, and eventually to outflow points and to the ocean.  Water that is not absorbed into the soil travels across land areas (including impervious surfaces) and through creeks and streams, often picking up pollutants along the way.  The size of a watershed (also called a drainage basin) is defined on different scales - the City of Columbia falls within six different watersheds and 16 different subwatersheds.  
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Meetings

Several sets of public meetings are planned throughout the process, and Planning Division staff is also happy to come speak to your neighborhood or organization.

FIND OUT MORE