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Chapter 08-Conservation8.0 CONSERVATION 8.1 INTRODUCTION The Conservation element is required to be included within the Comprehensive Plan per requirements of State planning law and rule criteria. Specifically, Chapter 163.3177(6)(a), Florida Statutes, establishes the Conservation element requirement and Chapter 9J-5.013 Florida Administrative Code, establishes minimum criteria to guide its preparation. A summary of the data, analysis and support documentation necessary to form the basis for Conservation goal, objectives and policies is presented in Chapter 8 of the Village of North Palm Beach, Florida Comprehensive Plan Support Documentation report dated ^^+QF, 1999, Village of North Palm Beach Evaluation and Appraisal Report dated 2007, the Village of North Palm Beach Water Supply Facilities Work Plan dated 2008, and the EAR -Based Amendment Support Documentation dated 2009. 8.2 VILLAGE GOAL STATEMENT Protect, conserve and enhance existing natural resources, including vegetative communities, fish and wildlife habitats and species of special concern. 8.3 OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES OBJECTIVE 1: Protect air quality and reduce energy consumption within the Village. Policy 1.1: Continue the required use, within the Village Land Development Regulations,. of construction practices such as seeding, wetting and mulching which minimize airborne dust and particulate emission generated by construction activities. These practices shall be undertaken within 30 days of completion of clearing work. Policy 1.2: Open burning of land clearing debris shall be prohibited without a permit issued by the Palm Beach County Health Department. Policy 1.3: The Village supports the County's efforts to reduce the potential for automotive emission pollution by programs such as car pooling, public transportation, public mass transit, employer -based transportation management, and use of flex time. Further, create public awareness of the benefits of limiting the idling of vehicles. Policy 1.4: Coordinate, as necessary1 with county transportation planning agencies to increase the quality of public mass transit services within the Village consistent with Policy 9.1; Transportation element. Policy 1.5: Participate in the county -wide effort to require all gas station pumps within the be equipped with vapor recovery systems. The Village shall adopt an ordinance to this effect or continue to participate in implementing the countywide ordinance, Encourage measures to verify quality of motor vehicle air emission equipment. 84 Policy 1.6: Educate the public on the proper placement of canopy trees and other landscape materials in order to strategically provide shade and reduce energy consumption. OBJECTIVE A. Protect, conserve and enhance water quality of waters that flow into estuarine or oceanic waters within the Village through the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP's) including. Policy 2.1: Continue to require the use %J Urban Best Management Practices (BMP's within the Village's development regulations. Policy 2.2: Village land development regulations shall continue to require that, in water management systems where use of stormwater retention systems is necessary, any modifications to, or construction of canals shall incorporate water and habitat quality enhancement features such as planned littoral zones or shallow shelves, bank slopes conducive to shoreline vegetation and immediate vegetative stabilization of any bare ground adjacent to the system, as appropriate. Policy 2.3: Except as in accordance a valid NPDES permit, any discharge to the Village stormwater system that is not composed entirely of stormwater is prohibited. Unless the Director of Public Services determines that they are not properly managed, authorized exceptions to this policy are as follows: (a) Flows from fire fighting, water line flushing, and other contributions from potable water sources; (b) landscape irrigation and lawn watering, (c) irrigation water; (d) diverted stream flows; (e) rising groundwaters; (f) direct infiltration to the stormwater system; (g) uncontaminated pumped groundwater; (h) foundation and footing drains; (i) water from crawl space pumps; (j) air conditioning condensation; (k) individual residential car washings; (I)flows from riparian habitats and wetlands; and (m) de -chlorinated swimming pool contributions. Policy 2.4: The Village shall protect water quality by restricting activities and land uses known to adversely affect the quality and quantity of identified water sources such as natural groundwater aquifer recharge areas and wellhead protection areas. The Village's ground water protection policy shall consist of the following: • Policy 2.2 Future Land Use element; • Policy 2.3 Future Land Use element; • Policy 3.3 Future Land Use element; • Special Policy 5.17 Future Land Use element; • Policy 1.4 Sanitary Sewer, Solid Waste, Stormwater Management, Potable Water, and Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge (Utilities) element; • Policy 1.5 Utilities element, • Policy 5.4 Utilities element; and • Policy 5.5 Utilities element. OBJECTIVE 3: Conserve potable water supplies during periods of water shortage, as defined by the South Florida Water Management District, Policy II. Continue to institute emergency water conservation techniques and programs under the direction of South Florida Water Management District, as per Chapter 40E-21, Florida Administrative Code. Policy 3.2: Current per capita consumption rates indicate that there is no need to reduce water usage within the Village during 1999-2005_period. OBJECTIVE 4: Conserve soil and native plant communities and remove and prevent the spread of invasive exotic plant species. Policy 4.1 Develop and maintain erosion control plans for areas experiencing continued erosion of shoreline or banks. The Village shall continue to seek assistance from the SFWMD to institute an erosion control program for the C-17 Canal. Policy 4.2: Land development regulations contain: (1) The requirement that all applications for new development contain an inventory of native plant communities and endangered species and a program for the preservation thereof; (2) a statement regarding the suitability of soils for development; and (3) the prohibition of planting exotic, invasive plant species and a program for the removal thereof. Policy 4.3: The Village shall continue its annual program of exotic plant species removal and/or trimming on public lands with the Village limits. OBJECTIVE 5: Conserve and protect fish and wildlife and their habitats. Policy 5.1 No person shall operate a boat, or any other vessel, including water sport apparatus or other physical object capable of transporting human beings or other cargo on water, at a speed in excess of five miles per hour, in any of the waterways within the Village, with the exception of the waters of Lake Worth and the Intracoastal Waterway, except in cases of fire or extreme emergency. Policy 5.2: Upon completion of the Manatee Protection program for Palm Beach County, incorporate pertinent control measures within the Village's Comprehensive Plan. OBJECTIVE As The Will shall maintain measures regulating the management and mitigation of hazardous wastes and materials. Policy 6.1: The Village shall maintain an ordinance regulating the storage and disposal of hazardous wastes and materials. Policy 6.2: The Village shall provide for the management of hazardous wastes to protect natural resources through its local Haz-Mat team. E:al Policy 6.3: The Public Safety Department shall take any necessary actions, including clean-up, removal and/or abatement of hazardous substances discharged upon or into public or private property, or facilities within the Village. Further, any person or persons responsible for causing or allowing an unauthorized discharge of hazardous substances requiring the action of the Public Safety Department, or its authorized agents, shall reimburse the Village for the full amount of all costs associated with investigating, mitigating, minimizing, removing and abating any such discharge, according to a payment schedule established by the Village. OBJECTIVE 7: North Palm Beach will protect and conserve mangroves, wetlands and sea grasses to ensure that there will be no net loss of the existing natural resources within the Village. Policy 7.1: Mangrove, wetlands and sea grass areas within the Village shall be deemed environmentally sensitive in recognition of their many natural functions and values, and, to further the public interest, shall be protected from incompatible land uses. The Village shall afford protection to all these resources regardless of size. Policy 7.2: The definition of mangroves and wetlands to be used for regulatory purposes by the Village shall be the most comprehensive definition of the definitions of wetlands used by the South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Representatives of these agencies will be contacted for assistance in identifying the location of all wetland areas within the Village. Policy 7.3: The location of mangrove, wetland, and sea grass areas shall be identified by survey at the time of a development application review. The Village shall not issue a development order or permit for a parcel until all such areas on, and adjacent to the subject parcel have been identified and located. Policy 7.4: No development including residential development, shall be permitted within mangrove or other wetland areas unless project alternatives that would avoid mangrove and wetland impacts are unavailable and mitigation is provided by the applicant to offset adverse impacts. For purposes of this policy, sufficient mitigation is defined as that which is required by Florida Administrative Code Rules 17-312.300 through 17-312.390. Policy 7.7: No pier, dock or walkway shall be located on submerged land which is vegetated with sea grasses except as is necessary to reach waters ata depth as prescribed by the State Department of Environmental Protection. The docking terminus shall not be located over a sea grass bed. OBJECTIVE 8: Participate in the formulation and implementation of water supply conservation programs developed by Seacoast Utility AuthoritLr. Policy 8.1: Coordinate with Seacoast Utility Authority to implement potable water conservation programs established as part of its Ten -Year Water Supply Facilities Work Plan and Consumptive Use Permit. _Policy 8.2: Cooperate with Seacoast Utility Authority in the development and implementation of water reuse programs, to the extent that they may apply to North Palm Beach. 8-5