Hurricane
Ivan, along
with the recent landslide in Killbuck Township, have highlighted the
imperative need to incorporate best management practices into
development.
Municipalities
and regulatory agencies can no longer afford to ignore development
practices that put our quality of life at risk, in the name of
economic incentive. It has been clearly shown that far from
economic health, ignoring best management practices invites economic
disaster.
Municipalities
and regulatory agencies need to implement steep slope ordinances and
adequate stormwater management plans and work with developers to
insure understanding and compliance.
Land
use that incorporates green strategies and recognizes the value of the
natural environment, particularly on steep slopes and floodplains,
will curtail or forestall economic disaster.
Clicking
on the links at left chronicle the height of Ivan's floodwaters and
the aftermath. Destruction of developed areas clearly shows the
need for the mitigating effects of natural floodplains with native
vegetation and riparian zones.
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