ENVIRONMENT Intent The intent of the Environment Plan is to ensure that in developing the County, the natural beauty is preserved, water quality is protected, property values and quality of life are enhanced, and ecological diversity is preserved. With sound protection measures, such as those presented herein, Prince William County’s citizens, business community, and visitors enjoy a healthy environment co-existing with a vibrant economy. In this regard, this Plan is to be used to address environmental issues, evaluate development proposals in their earliest stages, and develop ordinances. Prince William County is one of a few jurisdictions on the Atlantic Seaboard that extends from sea level to mountain crest. The natural environment of the County is diverse. Streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, marshes, forests, meadows, and shores provide habitat for plants and animals, as well as contribute to the economic well-being and aesthetics of the County. One way to preserve the County’s natural environment is to see that applicants for development approval address environmental issues at the earliest planning phase. This Plan assists in this early planning process by defining those areas of a site that are environmentally sensitive and need to be preserved for the purpose of protecting water quality, maintaining the County’s natural beauty, enhancing property values and quality of life, and preserving ecological diversity. Sustaining our environmental position is critical to the County’s capacity to ensure a high quality of life, provide for continued economic growth, and actively conserve and protect natural resources, including public drinking water supplies. To this end, it is critical for the County to establish clear measurable goals and environmental benchmarks in order to gauge its progress and plan for the future. Prince William County must evolve towards a sustainability approach in its planning and development policies. Prince William County embraces the “green” movement, recognizing the environmental and economic benefits of our green infrastructure, considering emerging green technology, ensuring a multi-faceted decision-making approach that balances green and gray infrastructure needs, while balancing environmental, economic, and social issues. On rezoning and special use permit applications, the Zoning Ordinance requires an Environmental Constraints Analysis to determine areas of a site that are suitable for development and those areas that are not. The Environmental Constraints Analysis determines the presence and extent important environmental features as described in this Plan. It is used as a tool to outline in a rezoning or special use permit application the preservation or conservation areas that will be provided and environmental protection practices included with those applications. The components of the Environment Plan include text and fold-out maps as follows: · Intent, Goal, Policies, and Action Strategies. · Highly Erodible Soils Map (Figure 1). · Highly Permeable Soils Map (Figure 2). · Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas Map (RPAs) (Figure 3)	COMMENTS/NOTES
DEFINITIONS Contiguous:  Abutting, adjoining, or touching and having a boundary, or portion thereof, which is coterminous. Canopy: The leaf area of a tree. Canopy Coverage: The area underneath the dripline of a tree, group of trees or forest. Critical slope area: An area with a greater than 15% change in elevation over the same horizontal distance (15% slope) or an erodibility factor k of greater than 0.4. Forest: A community of woody and herbaceous plants dominated by trees. Urban Forest: A regional term that incorporates tree resources. Urban forests may include rural, suburban and urban areas. For example, trees in parking lots, streetscapes, buffer areas, natural woodlands and major forested areas, such as Prince William Forest Park. Mature Hardwood Forest: A forest dominated by deciduous trees with a minimum diameter of 12 inches dbh (diameter at breast height or 4.5 feet from the ground). Forest Resources: Refers to wildlife habitat values and ecosystem services provided by forests, including but not limited to water purification, reduced air pollution, carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, natural flood control, timber production, etc. Forest Type: A category defining forests based on the natural groups of different tree species commonly occurring together over large areas, named for one or more dominating species (e.g., birch-beech-maple, oak-hickory). Green Infrastructure: An interconnected network of green space that conserves natural ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations. Perennial Stream: A body of water flowing in a natural or man-made channel year-round, except during periods of drought. Legally perennial stream: All water bodies identified as perennial when using a scientifically valid system of in-field indicators. A stream that scores ≥ 25 points through the County’s approved Perennial Flow Determination (PFD) process. Significant Stream: Stream that show strong morphological conditions with a defined channel sorted substrate and/or groundwater input and/or supports aquatic life. A stream that scores ≥ 14 points through the County’s approved Perennial Flow Determination (PFD) process. Prime Farmland Soil: Land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. Wetland: Lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface. Jurisdictional Wetland: Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil (hydric) conditions. Three criteria must be verified to identify a jurisdictional wetland – hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soils and wetland hydrology.	Staff may not agree with “critical slope area” as defined by the USDA and included here; needs more discussion.
GOAL: Preserve, protect, and enhance the environmental resources and features of the County.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES AND ACTION STRATEGIES EN-POLICY 1: Consider environmental concerns at all levels of decision-making. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Develop other critical maps to be included as part of the Environment Plan, which may include the following: · Existing Canopy Coverage map. · Impervious Area map · Vegetative Cover Types map · Wetlands map · Existing Conservation Easements map · Prime Farmland Soils map · Critical Stream Areas map
2. Update the Zoning Ordinance environmental constraints analysis requirements to include the following: a. Approximate delineation of all wetland areas b. Approximate location of all Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas c. All intermittent streams d. Ponds, culverts, and ditches e. Contributing drainage areas f. Existing structures, roads, and the locations of known utilities and easements g. Sufficient information on adjoining parcels to provide a preliminary assessment of stormwater impacts from the site, such as 100-year floodplains, wetlands, stormwater infrastructure, streams, and other sensitive features h. Identification of the adequacy of receiving surface waters into which stormwater will be proposed for discharge i. Proposed limits of disturbance. j. An accurate existing vegetation map of the entire site k. An accurate location of all Specimen Trees l. Prime Farmland Soils m. Identification of environmental features proposed for preservation or conservation.
3. Identify and pursue opportunities for open space preservation and for park network development connecting Quantico and Leesylvania State Park with Washington, D.C., using greenway corridors along the Potomac River and its tributaries, as identified in the Open Space and Corridors Map.
4. Seek and consider as part of the rezoning or special use process, input from adjacent jurisdictions to promote regional green infrastructure planning efforts as well as other environmental concerns that have multi-jurisdictional impacts.
5. Encourage developers to incorporate into site planning various environmentally sensitive approaches to stormwater management, including low-impact development (LID) techniques and preservation and restoration of natural land forms, as discussed in this Plan and the Community Design Plan.
EN-POLICY 2: Develop and implement a data collection, tracking, and analysis structure to monitor and establish the county’s environmental baseline, resource status, and sustainability. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Utilize the information gathered through the studies and assessments included in Policy 2, above, to establish criteria to establish and priorities for protecting ecologically important areas during land use decision-making processes.
2. Map all Environmental Resources to prioritize conservation planning, and make this information available on the County Mapper.
3. Complete a Countywide Stream Assessment, post the report online and make this information available on the County Mapper.
4. Inventory county-owned properties, to include Park Authority and Prince William Public School properties, to identify environmental resources, as identified in the Environmental Constraints Analysis. Provide inventory/mapping of forest areas in Prince William County and make this information available to the public.
5. Utilize tree assessment tools to account for the depreciation of renewable resources (such as forest, groundwater) and non-renewable resources (such as unique habitat) when evaluating the economic health of the County.
6. All County offices, to include Park Authority and Prince William Public School properties, involved in land use will coordinate with local, federal, state, and regional environmental organizations to facilitate the exchange of data and implementation of environmental protection measures.
7. Conduct a County-wide analysis of the economic value of our existing green infrastructure (native and urban forests) toward energy conservation, storm water control off-sets, property values, protecting and improving water quality, and reducing air pollution.
8. Develop a baseline analysis of existing tree cover from available historic data from the year 2000 or earlier.
9. Publish a report each year detailing the status of the County’s environmental assets.
EN-POLICY 3: To further support OS-Policy 5, a minimum of 39 percent of the total area in the County, (exclusive of acreage of Marine Corps Base Quantico for all calculation purposes), will be retained as protected open space, as defined in the Open Space Chapter.
ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Encourage cluster development to protect contiguous natural open space, as defined by the Zoning Ordinance.
2. Amend the cluster ordinance to ensure that open space is permanently protected, as defined in the Open Space Chapter.
3. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to ensure that homes and commercial structures are located at least 100 feet from conservation and preservation areas to avoid intrusion and prevent negative impacts.	Staff does not agree; more discussion needed.
4. Amend the Zoning Ordinance and DCSM to ensure that proffered conservation and preservation areas shall not be allowed on residential lots less than 1 acre.
5. Develop and publish guidelines for homeowner associations that detail how to manage conservation areas, while providing information on responsibilities and a checklist of standard management measures and benefits.
6. Make information on conservation easements available to landowners, including distribution points at the Tax Assessment Department and other relevant county offices, to encourage the use of open space/conservation easements as tools to preserve environmental resources.
7. Encourage the use of open space/conservation easements to preserve open space in already developed areas in order to provide natural areas, protect environmentally sensitive resources, preserve wildlife habitat and ensure a scenic appearance over time.
8. The county shall review and implement opportunities for a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.
9. Explore the use of available federal and state funding resources, including grants, foundations, and transportation related funds, to support green infrastructure planning initiatives and a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program.
10. Initiate and provide public information programs each year aimed at conserving lands in the watershed through civic engagement, community stewardship, and agency partnerships.
11. Investigate the benefits of involving a private conservancy for the purpose of purchasing privately held lands for preservation purposes and seeking perpetual conservation easements to preserve open space.
12. Support initiatives promoted by the County’s Trails and Blueways Council to establish a Countywide greenway and path system through the voluntary donation of land and conservation easements from interested property owners, as a means of environmental protection.
CLIMATE & AIR QUALITY POLICIES EN-POLICY 4: Monitor air quality and collaborate with DEQ, MWCOG, and other regional entities to identify and implement strategies to improve air quality.
ACTION STRATEGIES: 1. Support and coordinate with the Council of Governments (COG) Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee’s Air Quality Monitoring Program, the Climate, Energy and Environmental Policy Committee for the region and within the county.
2. Analyze and suggest locations for air, water and energy monitoring sites to encourage COG and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to establish additional air quality monitoring stations in the County, as applicable.
3. Where applicable, review and consider air quality impacts for public and private industries and utilities in conjunction with the rezoning and/or special use permit application process.
4. Continue to maintain regional COG agreements and contingency plans to deal with stationary and mobile sources of pollution to protect residents, and especially sensitive residents (such as the young, the elderly, and sensitive populations).
5. Develop a process to determine if adequate controls are in place to prevent metals, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and other carcinogenic materials from entering the trash stream.
6. Request MWCOG or VDOT to review air quality/transportation studies along major transportation corridors and at congested intersections, in order to better define the impacts and trends of vehicle-generated pollution.
7. Developments, including and not limited to transit-oriented and mixed use projects, shall optimize the use of transit and non-motorized trips in order to reduce pollution impacts from vehicles and contain the appropriate support facilities, such as bus shelters, dedicated bicycle lanes, bicycle parking facilities, trails, crosswalks, sidewalks, etc.
8. Ensure that development plans, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) projects, and County projects preserve and/or re-establish vegetative buffers along roadways as a means of filtering and absorbing pollutants, and reducing noise pollution.
9. Reduce vehicle pollution by encouraging the use of alternative modes of transport – including van/carpooling, public transit, bicycles, light rail, and pedestrian paths.
10. Locate public facilities, including schools, parks and libraries, to maximize pedestrian access and reduce air pollution.
12. At the time of rezoning, encourage site layouts that orient structures to maximize solar gain in the winter months and prevailing winds in the summer months.
WATERSHED PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY POLICIES EN-POLICY 5: Protect the natural landscape and its associated economic, aesthetic and ecosystem benefits. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Development proposals shall identify and preserve critical slope areas, especially the following: · All areas of 25% or greater slopes contiguous to the 100-year floodplain. · If no 100-year floodplain is present, 25% or greater slopes that begin within 50 feet of the stream channel. For impacts to slopes between 15% and 24% contiguous to streams or 100-year floodplains, require mitigation to offset impacts.
2. Amend the DCSM to require identification and protection of all areas with shrink/swell soils, critical slope areas, and/or with underlying marine clays. Where impacts are unavoidable, require mitigation.
3. Seek commitments prior to the time of rezoning and special use permit approval that the landforms identified in the Environmental Constraints Analysis above will be set aside as a preservation/conservation area.
4. Use native plants that are adapted to local soil and weather conditions when re-vegetating disturbed areas.
5. Amend the design evaluation guidelines, criteria, and techniques included in the Community Design Chapter to better promote the preservation of natural landscapes – especially those that tend to be drought resistant – and apply them in the evaluation of rezoning and/or special use permit applications.
6. Where toxic waste soil contamination is suspected, require that a rezoning and/or special use permit applicant submit an Environmental Site Assessment Phase II – Contaminated Sites and Remediation Plan as part of the application.
7. Prohibit development at toxic waste sites to the extent provided by law. If environmental clean-up has been conducted to meet state and federal standards, development can be proposed.
8. Monitor the effectiveness of the Prince William County Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance and upgrade as appropriate.
9. For properties that include streams, tidal or non-tidal wetlands, headwaters, 15% or greater slopes, headwaters, or other environmental features of significance, require enhanced erosion and sedimentation controls, including super silt fences, erosion control blankets, soil stabilization matting, temporary vegetative cover, and other controls, as required by the Erosion and Sediment Control Program Administrator.
10. County development and transportation projects and any other projects constructed using taxpayer funds shall lead by example, incorporating the highest environmental leadership standards and requiring plan review and erosion and sediment control inspection frequencies that meet or exceed state standards.
11. For State development and transportation projects, the county shall coordinate with state agencies to ensure that all projects within the County demonstrate leadership standards by incorporating the highest environmental standards, meeting or exceeding the County’s minimum standards.
12. Request courtesy review of erosion control plans for all federal and state projects in Prince William County.
13. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to establish minimum standards and thresholds that limit clearing and grading on developing properties.
14. Promote the use of vegetative or “soft” stabilization techniques along shorelines to maintain a natural buffer.
15. Address issues of sea level rise along shorelines in County. Utilize current data and information on sustainable shorelines to protect shorefronts and property and incorporate sea level rise into County policy.
16. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, require development sites to be designed in a manner that limits clearing and grading to the minimum area needed to construct the proposed use.
17. Update the DCSM to preclude the use of all invasive, non-native species.
SURFACE & GROUNDWATER POLICIES EN-POLICY 6: Maintain or enhance the integrity of surface bodies of water and watersheds. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. As appropriate, for new construction and redevelopment, phosphorous loading per acre per year are to be in accordance with final State stormwater regulations.
2. Locate away from the County’s water bodies those nonresidential activities that use, store, or manufacture significant quantities of toxic substances.
3. Study and recommend measures to improve contingency planning by parties who use, handle, or store hazardous substances in sufficient quantities so as to constitute a threat to surface and groundwater quality. The measures should address identification of trigger amounts of materials and procedures for prevention of leaks or spills and for containment of leaks, spills, and water runoff from fire fighting and include commitments for the pretreatment of storm water quality to prevent contamination.
4. Require adherence to the following guidelines for determination of density or intensity of development:
RESIDENTIAL Preclude the development of structures within 100-year floodplains. The allowable dwelling unit density for a property in the Urban and Suburban Area shall be calculated based on the area outside the Environmental Resource (ER) area, which includes the floodplain, the Chesapeake Bay RPAs, and areas shown in the environmental constraints analysis submitted with a rezoning or special use permit application with wetlands; 25 percent or greater slopes; areas with 15 percent or greater slopes in conjunction with soils that have severe limitations; soils with a predominance of marine clays; public water supply sources; wetlands and critically erodible shorelines and stream banks. The allowable dwelling unit density areas of the property encumbered by such features shall be based upon the maximum density permitted by the existing zoning of the property at the time of adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. Other relevant Comprehensive Plan components – such as the capacity of the transportation network, environmental constraints, and zoning requirements – must be addressed, as well, in determining the appropriate number of dwelling units on a property.
NON-RESIDENTIAL On non-residential-zoned property encumbered with areas of 100-year floodplain or Chesapeake Bay RPAs the allowable intensity is determined based on the floor area ratio (FAR) specified by the existing or proposed zoning district and the total site area. Development within the 100-year floodplain and Chesapeake Bay RPAs is to be precluded. The intensity of development is to be evaluated on the basis of other relevant environmental resource action strategies, the compatibility of the proposed uses with surrounding existing uses and other applicable portions of the Plan.
5. Develop and distribute public service information to reduce nutrient loading in stormwater runoff from yards and farms.
6. Use the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) criteria for the siting of Marinas or Community Boat Moorings in evaluating future waterfront access sites to the County.
7. Encourage innovative stormwater management techniques. Promote LID (Low-Impact Development) and on-site stormwater management (SWM).
8. Except where a crossing is unavoidable, public utilities shall be located outside of the 100-foot Resource Protection Area buffer, wetlands, and other water bodies. Where impacts are unavoidable, require mitigation backed by financial assurances, such as bonds or escrows.
EN-POLICY 7: Manage watersheds through a comprehensive watershed management planning-based approach.
ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Develop watershed management plans. · As appropriate, the following resources and/or components are to be considered: o Existing impervious surfaces o Determine estimated future impervious surfaces, based on established land use-impervious cover relationships, the most recent comprehensive plan, and zoning information o Stormwater management facilities o Water quality monitoring stations o Stormwater hotspots/flooding o Forest cover/tree cover o Topography o Soils and geologic features o Floodplains o Hazardous waste sites o Wells o Land ownership (public/private) o Subwatershed area o Land use, by zoning category o Downstream water resources · Include public input and receive public support · Address the protection, conservation and restoration of stream corridors, riparian forest buffers and wetlands · Reflect the goals and objectives of improving habitat and water quality. · Determines the most vulnerable subwatersheds and evaluates restoration capabilities · Rank priority subwatersheds for implementation and identifies areas that merit prompt restoration actions · Identify solutions for protecting and restoring streams and other natural resources in the watershed · Identify implementation mechanisms · Include a mechanism to monitor progress.
2. Present completed watershed management plans to the Board of County Supervisors for adoption and consider these in making land use decisions, including the CIP.
3. Utilize watershed plans to define the condition of County streams and waterways and define areas that are prioritized for restoration or improvement – Critical Stream Areas (CSAs). Produce a CSA Overlay map to include areas that require restoration or improvements due to impairment.
4. At the time of Rezoning and Special Use Permit seek commitment to improve conditions within Critical Stream Areas in proximity to project application or provide restoration project.
5. Explore the feasibility of developing a citizen-based Watershed Advisory Council to act as a sounding board and vehicle for discussion of watershed issues. Objective of the Council is to incorporate community ideas into watershed planning efforts and increase understanding of stormwater management and watershed issues
EN-POLICY 8: Protect waterways and downstream properties from stormwater runoff. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Limit densities on unstable soils, including marine clays, highly erodible and other Category 3 soils. Encourage cluster development to ensure these soil areas remain undisturbed.
2. Employ field observation as well as stormwater management plans to assess impact of proposed development on downstream properties for water quantity, quality, volume and velocity up to 300 feet downstream.
3. Encourage higher standards for stormwater management – including low-impact development standards – that require all development projects to establish systems – preferably natural – for filtering the “first flush” of urban runoff (delivery of disproportionately large amounts of pollutants that occurs during the early stages of a storm) near its source.
4. At the time of rezonings or special use permits, require commitments to manage stormwater to meet one-year, and 10-year, and 24-hour storms.
5. Preclude construction of stormwater management impoundment structures or facilities within tidal or nontidal wetlands and significant streams.
6. For plans with multiple sections and/or phases, encourage comprehensive stormwater management plans to be developed for the entire development, while being consistent with watershed management plans, prior to preliminary site plan approval.
7. Encourage enhanced extended detention.
8. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, encourage the use of constructed stormwater wetlands and the use of multiple controls placed in a series, as appropriate.
9. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, seek commitments for environmentally-sensitive siting and construction of development to minimize the need for excessive grading. Avoid disturbance of steep slopes, particularly up-slope of natural resource areas, such as wetlands and streams.
10. Encourage the use of level spreaders and vegetated buffers to minimize the use of piping and/or channels through stream buffers.
11. Identify the location of all county-maintained stormwater facilities and county-inspected low impact development (LID) projects on the County Mapper.
EN-POLICY 9: Limit the amount and extent of impervious surfaces to protect water quality. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Require acceptable retrofit techniques in redevelopment in order to minimize stormwater runoff.
2. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, encourage the use of semi-pervious or pervious surfaces and other low-impact development techniques.
3. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to limit additional parking above the regulatory minimums.	James City Co. has this.
4. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, seek commitments to reserve 30% of parking areas for compact cars, and encourage shared parking opportunities and other low-impact design strategies in order to reduce impervious surfaces.
5. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, require structured parking for high-density mixed use developments.
EN-POLICY 10: Ensure the preservation and use of natural site features which facilitate the effective management of stormwater runoff. ACTION STRATEGIES:
2. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, emphasize preservation of wetlands over mitigation. Where impacts are unavoidable, require mitigation within the County backed by financial assurances, such as bonds or cash escrows.
3. Amend the Zoning Ordinance to prohibit direct discharge of untreated stormwater into wetlands. Ensure discharge does not exceed non-erosive velocities.
4. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, require commitments to ensure that wetlands proposed for preservation will retain their functionality.
5. At the time of an application for a rezoning or special use permit, seek commitments to use low-impact design, including bioretention and the conservation of natural site features, such as wetlands, slopes, Category 3 soils and forested areas.
6. Encourage the preservation of a natural buffer of existing woodland or forestation area of at least 100 feet along each side of significant non-RPA streams and headwaters areas that are not otherwise protected under the Chesapeake Bay regulations or similar legislation. Require mitigation for impacts to waterways where buffers are not provided at the time of rezoning or special use permit, backed by financial assurances, such bonds or case escrows.	Staff does not agree. Needs more discussion.
7. Align new roads to follow the natural contours of the land. Amend the DCSM to include road standards that will allow greater preservation of the natural terrain, water resources and woodland areas.	Relocated from Community Design Chapter.
EN-POLICY 11: Ensure the protection of the County’s groundwater and aquifers. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Acquire GIS and other information from the Health Department and State Water Control Board and others identifying Critical Groundwater Areas (CGAs) and make this information available to the public on the County Mapper.
2. Encourage conservation of natural features and limit impervious surfaces in Critical Groundwater Areas. Develop procedures to protect or improve, if necessary, the water quality of Critical Groundwater Areas.
3. Evaluate groundwater conditions for potential pollution, using available data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (for leaking underground storage tanks) and the Prince William County Health Department (for failing septic systems) when reviewing rezoning and/or special use permit applications.
4. Promote the use of secondary containment storage tanks for petroleum products and other hazardous materials, for all development and redevelopment.
5. Review and upgrade, as appropriate, the Best Management Practice and soil and erosion maintenance enforcement program for all types of development.
6. Develop an ordinance that requires new wells be tested for toxic and radiological substances at the same time that they are being tested for bacterial contaminants.
7. Preserve prime farmland soils to the maximum extent possible to encourage to production and consumption of locally grown produce.
10. Require the use of pre-treatment devices for stormwater runoff and/or small spills or leakages on sites where petroleum products or hazardous wastes are handled.
11. Amend the DCSM to require the use of appropriate native vegetation in the stormwater system.
12. For new development and retrofits, study and consider increasing landscape requirements around County maintained stormwater facilities.
13. Work with local regulations (DCSM), the PWC Service Authority, Virginia Cooperative Extension to promote low water use landscapes on new and existing development though conservation landscaping principles, including reducing lawn areas.
EN-POLICY 12: Ensure the high quality of public drinking water sources. In addition to the policies and action strategies listed for surface and groundwater protection, the following action strategies will serve to implement this policy: ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Require the minimum density/intensity of development, as reflected by the appropriate land use classification shown on the Long-Range Land Use Plan Map around the shorelines of water bodies and headwaters areas that drain to a public drinking water supply.
2. Develop and implement a Drinking Water Protection Overlay District for areas within the Occoquan Reservoir and Lake Manassas Watersheds to protect the quantity and quality of public drinking water supplies, to include the following: · Minimum standards for vegetated buffers along all streams and headwater areas · Minimum standards for vegetated buffers contiguous to wetlands that drain to a public drinking water supply · Minimum standards for setbacks from the 300’ contour line around Lake Manassas and the Fairfax Water Authority easement boundary.
3. At the time of rezoning or site plan approval, require development plans to meet the lowest densities for allowed land use classifications.
4. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, prioritize preservation of wetlands, intermittent streams, and headwater areas. Where impacts are unavoidable, require mitigation, preferably on-site, backed by financial assurances, such as bonds or cash escrows.
5. At the time of rezoning or special use permit, require commitments for enhanced erosion and sedimentation controls, as appropriate.
6. Preclude the installation of septic fields, tanks or other on-site subsurface sewage disposal system within 500 feet of the shoreline of reservoirs.
7. Coordinate with the Fairfax Water Authority to address existing contamination from pharmaceuticals and prevent future associated impacts to the Occoquan Reservoir.
8. Develop and publish information detailing the human health issues associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals in public drinking water supplies and list preventative measures that the public can employ to prevent additional problems.
9. Encourage farmers to develop conservation plans for agricultural activities undertaken within the Lake Manassas and Occoquan Reservoir watersheds.
10. Continue to support the Occoquan Monitoring Laboratory, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission's technical studies, and the multi-jurisdictional Occoquan watershed program. Obtain annual reports for presentation to the Board of County Supervisors.
11. Promote open space uses and acquire land along the Occoquan Reservoir for special use parks that are designed to promote an appreciation of the natural environment and facilitate passive recreation (such as fishing, hiking, and non-motorized boating).
12. Actively support Fairfax Water Authority efforts to increase compliance and enforce regulations established by their Occoquan Shoreline Easement Policy.
13. Request that the Occoquan Laboratory continue to identify point/non-point pollution sources upstream from the reservoirs and to suggest ways that the non-point source pollution can be eliminated or controlled.
EN-POLICY 13: Preserve natural vegetation – especially existing and mature trees – and provide for the replacement and management of urban forest resources. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Initiate and support a community-based Urban Forestry Council to monitor tree preservation progress and make recommendations for improvements to County policies and standards.
2. Develop, adopt, and implement a Tree Preservation Ordinance, incorporating standards for both Countywide and watershed goals. Amend the Zoning Ordinance, DCSM, Subdivision Ordinance, and other relevant policies to reflect the standards established by the Tree Preservation Ordinance.
3. Amend the Zoning Ordinance and DCSM requirements for buffer areas, landscaping and tree cover requirements to prioritize tree preservation instead of tree replacement.
4. Require tree preservation plans for all new development, to include commitments for the preservation of specimen trees and commitments to ensure that trees designated for preservation will survive construction in a manner that substantially retains their pre-development level of biological function, health and structural condition.
5. Continue to support and implement the Agricultural and Forestal District program to preserve farmland and woodland areas in the County.
7. Conduct a professional study, including coordination with the Virginia Department of Forestry, to identify the County’s mature hardwood forests and the location of those forests. Maintain an inventory of Forest Cover in PWC and track change to contiguous forest as development occurs. Make this information available to the public on the County Mapper.
8. Consider acquisition of select sites for public parks/forests and/or encourage the dedication of such sites by private property owners.
9. Maintain the County’s of Historic and Champion Trees. Use this registry at the time of rezoning and special use permit application to determine the presence of such trees on the property.
10. Establish and adopt reforestation standards to address areas where unauthorized clearing has occurred. Amend relevant ordinances, as needed, including the Zoning Ordinance and DCSM, to support these standards.
11. On lots served by public sewer and water and where a tree canopy exists, the limits of clearing and grading shall be configured to minimize the loss of woodlands.
12. Encourage utility companies to share easements where technically feasible to reduce the amount of disturbance along a roadway and provide enough areas for street trees.
13. Utilize tree preservation to protect community appearance, property values and provide other economic and community benefits.
EN-POLICY 14: Increase the environmental awareness of County residents, organizations, businesses, and government agencies. ACTION STRATEGIES:
Make the following GIS layers available to the public on the County Mapper: a) Slopes b) Wetlands c) Environmental Resource Areas d) Canopy Coverage by Forest Type e) Stormwater infrastructure f) Protected open space, including name of easement holder and number of acres, if different from the total acreage of the parcel g) Critical Groundwater Areas h) County-maintained stormwater facilities and county-inspected low impact development (LID) facilities i) Update Watershed layer to include the total number of acres and % of impervious surfaces in small watershed.
2. Publish electronically (scalable PDF) and in print a map(s) showing the features listed in AS-1, above. Provide developers with information on County conservation requirements.
3. Conduct a series of workshops to educate, engage and increase communication between citizens, organizations, businesses, industry, government officials and agencies on sustainable development, green infrastructure, and associated opportunities.
4. Publish a webpage and associated e-notification component to provide information and updates on the County’s green development and green infrastructure initiatives.
5. Publish a webpage and associated e-notification component to promote and provide current information on local Farmer’s Markets and other sources of locally produced food.
6. Continue to expand or exceed the recycling rate mandated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and publish on the webpage developed through AS-5, above.
7. Update current informational brochures explaining the importance of soils and the proper maintenance of private sewer/septic systems, including the importance of such maintenance to the owner and to the environment. Make this information available to users of these systems.
8. Provide brochures on sustainable practices for home gardening and lawn care. Work with local nurseries and retail facilities that sell fertilizers to ensure these are distributed to the public.
EN-POLICY 15: Identify, manage, and protect all ecological communities and wildlife – especially critical habitats – as well as endangered and threatened species, and species of special concern, as identified in official Federal and State lists.
1. Ensure the County considers the most recent information available on the status and location(s) of rare, threatened and endangered species, rare plant communities and critical habitat areas.
2. At the time of rezoning or special use permit and all County projects, require implementation of state & federal guidelines for the protection of rare, threatened, and endangered species and encourage preservation of habitats where these species could occur.
3. To protect the biological diversity, processes, and functions of natural habitats, identify a network of preservation corridors or large woodland areas to be incorporated into an overall habitat protection network.
ENERGY POLICIES
EN-POLICY 14: Develop a Community Energy Master Plan
1. Collect data and establish a baseline that best defines the energy, water, waste water and greenhouse gas data situation for County government operations and community at large.
2. Incorporate input from all major stakeholders, including utilities, public authorities, residents, businesses, community associations, elected officials, schools, universities and colleges.
3. Establish a long-term Vision with clear targets supported by short to medium term implementation strategies.
4. Define targets, tracking measurements reporting and accountability for overall energy Vision and CEMP implementation.
EN-POLICY 15: Implement cost-effective energy-conservation measures at County facilities ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Remain active in EPA ENERGY STAR program and continue to use EPA’s Portfolio Manager to rate the energy performance of eligible county-owned buildings. Audit County facilities energy use and pursue projects with a payback period of less than 10 years.
2. Consider giving priority to facilities that rate 75 or higher according to the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Performance Rating when leasing new space for County use or when renewing existing leases.
3. Consider designing and building all new County facilities so they rate 75 or higher by using the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR performance rating system, and measure performance annually using EPA’s Portfolio Manager benchmarking tool.
4. Consider designing and constructing County renovation projects consistent with energy performance standards at least as stringent as LEED Silver or Green Globes 2 Globes standards whenever those projects are valued at 50% of the assessed building value. When replacing or installing appliances and equipment in County facilities, select items that are ENERGY STAR compliant whenever available.
5. Become a Green Partner with George Mason University (GMU), and encourage use of transit to access the GMU-Prince William campus. Explore opportunities to partner with non-public schools and other transportation systems to reduce the energy used for public school transportation.
6. Consider re-directing local consumer utility tax revenues from to support new or enhance existing energy conservation-related funds, such as the existing state/federal weatherization assistance programs or developing a new low-interest revolving loan fund for energy efficiency investments made by low-income homeowners and small businesses in the County.
7. Require new residential development seeking rezoning and site plan approval to maximize opportunities for transit and to consider potential for solar/wind energy production in the development. Encourage construction that qualifies for ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes designation.
EN-POLICY 16: Provide recognition and incentives for energy conservation at non-government facilities and residences. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Consider establishing a separate, lesser rate of tax for energy efficient buildings as defined in Code of Virginia § 58.1-3221.2
2. Consider additional incentives (financial, tax, expedited permits, density bonuses, etc.) for development that builds to LEED or Green Globes standards and ENERGY STAR.
3. Recognize and publicize those in the community whose facilities achieve LEED, Green Globes and ENERGY STAR certifications.
EN-POLICY 17: Provide recognition and incentives for renewable energy application at non-government facilities and residences. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Evaluate current policies and ordinances to remove obstacles to renewable energy (wind, solar, biomass, landfill gas, geothermal, etc.) application.
2. Evaluate and recommend incentives for projects that create on-site renewable energy application.
3. Recognize and publicize for those projects that use on-site renewable energy.
EN-POLICY 18: Provide leadership by example and education in the areas of energy efficiency, demand response and renewable energy application. ACTION STRATEGIES:
1. Consider inventorying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from county facilities to create a baseline and using it to develop and implement short, medium and long-term plans to reduce or eliminate them by 2050. Also consider the feasibility of creating a short, medium and long-term community level GHG baseline and reduction plan. In setting these goals, evaluate reduction goals in other programs, plans and reports such as the Virginia Energy Plan, Cool Counties, COG Climate Registry Report to determine a reduction goal that is challenging yet achievable.
2. Consider re-investing utility budget savings and cost-avoidance from completed energy projects in future energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as well as the creation of a Sustainability Office or Group.
3. Consider providing active citizen education and awareness about energy efficiency, renewable energy, and “demand response” (i.e. shifting power usage away from periods when usage is peaking such as hot weekday summer afternoons) best practices.
4. Consider reducing the rate of the growth of county government’s energy use by 40%.
5. Consider reducing electricity use in County facilities by 10% of 2006 level by 2022.
6. Consider reducing natural gas use in County facilities by 7.5% over next ten years.
7. Consider reducing total diesel/gasoline use by all (County) vehicles by 10% over next five years.
8. Consider reducing total diesel/gasoline used for County government landscaping operations by 20% over next five years.
9. Consider purchasing the equivalent of 12% of the County’s 2009 level electricity needs from renewable sources either through Dominion and NOVEC rate offerings, renewable energy credits, or through on-site generation.
10. Publicize energy conservation efforts at county facilities. Prominently display the ENERGY STAR label on county-owned buildings that qualify. Post building energy “report cards” for county-owned buildings on the county’s website, to highlight impact of energy conservation efforts. Encourage Prince William County Public Schools to do the same.
11. Continue actively participating County Government facilities in demand response programs.
12. Consider utilizing life-cycle cost analysis when constructing new facilities.
13. Continue increasing landfill gas utilization at the County landfill with the goal of completely eliminating flaring.
14. Continue exploring waste reduction and re-use technologies in lieu of landfilling.

NATURAL VIEWSHEDS POLICIES AND ACTION STRATEGIES DES POLICY 9: Identify significant natural viewsheds in Prince William County. ACTION STRATEGIES:	Proposed to be relocated to Community Design Chapter with revisions and additions.
1. Seek funding from federal, state, local, and private organizations in order to secure professional services needed to conduct a Countywide or area-specific viewshed inventory or study. Ensure public participation in viewshed study projects and complete funded viewshed studies on a timely basis.
2. Amend the Zoning Ordinance, DCSM and other relevant ordinances to reflect the goals and standards included in viewshed studies that are endorsed by the BOCS.
DES-POLICY 9: Preserve and enhance the unique architectural and landscape (agricultural, cultural, natural) qualities of the County’s rural area. AS X: Conduct a survey of the Rural Area to identify viewsheds, their type, and their potential boundaries. AS-3: Provide Prepare a viewshed preservation plan that incorporates site plans and building designs that identify and protect the existing visual quality and natural resource values that make these areas distinctive. DES-POLICY 10: Encourage site plans and building designs for new development that enhance the settings of the County Registered Historic Sites, as identified in the Cultural Resources Plan. AS-2: Encourage the preservation of views to and from historic properties through the protection of farm fields, meadows, and woodlands and where possible combine with viewshed types. DES-POLICY-12: Integrate new development into the natural landforms, particularly the existing woodland areas of the County. GOAL: Preserve, manage, and where necessary, integrate viewsheds that are character-defining features of Prince William County into development. DES-POLICY ##: Identify significant viewsheds in Prince William County. AS-##: Conduct a County-wide survey and identify viewsheds, their type and potential boundaries, and list on a map as an Appendix to this Chapter. The survey should include land within the County’s Rural Area, as well as along the Potomac River. AS-##: Prepare viewshed preservation plans for viewsheds identified in Appendix (??) of this Chapter. AS- ##: Identify viewshed preservation and management tools. AS-##: As a condition of submittal for Comprehensive Plan Amendments and Rezone applications, require preparation of a viewshed preservation plan for viewsheds identified in Appendix (??) of this Chapter. DES-POLICY 13: Encourage the preparation of plans for the preservation and restoration of viewshed resources.
Revise Viewshed definition in glossary:
Viewshed: A viewshed is an area that can include one or more of the following: of land, water, cultural resources, and other environmental elements. A viewshed can have both interior and exterior views and one or more vantage points. The term is used widely in such areas as urban planning, archaeology, and military science. In urban planning, for example, viewsheds tend to be areas of particular scenic, natural, or historic value that are deemed worthy of preservation against development or other change. The preservation of viewsheds is a goal in the designation of open space areas, green belts, and community separators, as well as natural and cultural resources preservation.