BMPs for Rural Residents
The management challenges for the small parcel owner and rural resident are not addressed by smart growth principles. As noted in the Urban Smart Growth section in the Background Primer, rural residential development simply does not meet the definition of smart growth. Yet that does not mean there are not smart ways to develop and manage smaller parcels and ranchettes. This section offers best management practices for many elements of rural residential living.
[Under construction. This section will be completed through the first quarter 2008 with the Panta Rhea foundation grant, which was extended in Spring of 2007 and scope adjusted so the $10,000 in grant funds could address the development of rural BMPs.]
Rural BMPs Topic Areas
- Property Ecosystem Inventory. How and why to inventory what is on the land, what historically would have been on the land. What is going to change as a result of shift away from grazing ecosystem.
- Vegetation management.
- Animal husbandry. Small scale grazing standards: horses, hobby level cattle/sheep/pigs/goats/poultry. What is overgrazing, its effects? Scaling appropriately.
- Invasive species. How and where to learn the issues, know the problem. What to anticipate as land use shifts away from grazing.
- Run-off and hydrology. Minimizing run-off problems for quality and quantity. Small scale design solutions.
- Groundwater management. How to manage a well sustainably. Refering to Groundwater Watch, and voluntary gauging and testing.
- Energy management. Rural energy opportunities, small scale biomass management options. Energy efficiency on ranchettes.
- Waste management. How to deal with solid wastes, garbage, composting, recycling.
- Waste water management. Grey water use. Septic tank management.
- Streamside management. Refer to PCRCD streamside web pages.
- Habitat and wildlife management
- Oak woodland management
- Vernal pools
- Fire protection
- Landscaping
- Small scale lot division and community design
