REP15371 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

zz • maintenance of surface water quality within the site and the surrounding watershed; • maintenance of the hydrologic integrity of the groundwater, e.g. by protecting rechazge zones; • land intended to buffer the site against future changes in the use of surrounding lands; exclusion or control of invasive exotic species; and • land necessary for management or monitoring activities. As the label "conservation planning" indicates, the boundaries presented here are fcr planning purposes. They delineate ecologically sensitive areas where land-use practices should be carefully planned and managed to ensure that they are compatible with protection goals for natural heritage resources and sensitive species. All land within the conservation planning boundary should be considered an integral part of a complex economic, social, and ecological landscape that requires wise land-use planning at all levels. Protection Tools Intensive land use in Colorado and multiple demands for many areas contribute tc the continual degradation of many natural communities, endangered species habitats, antd other types of natural areas. Best management practices can help protect critical buffers, but may not be adequate in the protection of sensitive species and sites. The first and most significant and proactive tool for protection is the continued identification of locations of rare species, natural communities, and the ecosystems that support them. Only with this information can informed decision-making occur. This document provides base-level information to begin a plaruted protection effort of the significant biodiversiry features within the Rock Creek drainage at Rocky Flats Environmen[al Technology Site. By using careful planning, and a monitoring program, the significant elements of natural diversity ident~ed herein will be adequately conserved. REPORT RECONIIvIENDATIONS 1. Develop an implementation plan for desi~ation of the Rock Creek Site.