Washington Department of Commerce is scoping the development of a new web based decision support and scenario analysis tool for critical areas and land use planning, for use in Comprehensive Planning under the Growth Management Act. The tool would link maps, models, and information from various sources for evaluating multiple land use planning scenarios. It would also include a web interface that would allow the user to adjust multiple variables to see how those changes would affect other factors in long term planning, thus facilitating alternatives analysis and planning for multiple scenarios. We seek your input on the most important uses for the tool, the questions you would like the tool to answer, and what information should be included. Your responses will help ensure that the product meets end user needs. We recognize that not all questions are applicable to everyone, and you are welcome to skip questions that do not apply to you and your work. Thank you so much for your time and input!

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* 1. Who are you?

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* 2. How would you categorize your work (select all that apply)?

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* 3. What is your experience and/or current role in critical areas or land use planning, if any?

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* 4. What are your goals related to critical areas and land use planning?

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* 5. Please describe your skills related to GIS, modeling, or data management, if any.

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* 6. What mapping or analysis tools, layers, or datasets do you currently use during comprehensive planning, critical areas planning, or other work?

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* 7. What limits your use of existing mapping or analysis tools (choose all that apply)?

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* 8. Are all the tools you need for effective planning (or other work) currently integrated and easy to use?

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* 9. What would entice you to use an integrated tool (please choose your top 5)?

  Most enticing (in my top 5) Somewhat enticing (but not in my top 5) Not enticing
Includes all the information I need in one tool
Demonstrates interconnections between datasets and tools
Ability to analyze and show relationships between datasets, layers, and tools
Introduces me to new tools and datasets
Easy to use
Easy to learn
Makes my work more transparent
Makes my work faster
Makes my work less expensive
No or few gaps in information
Current, regularly updated data
Web-based
Regionally applicable
Metadata available for all datasets
Information on timeliness and update schedule available
Information on how to use the data
Good customer support
Information on Best Available Science

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* 10. Which of the following describe potential uses of a regional, integrated land use decision support tool that could be applicable to your work (choose all that apply)?

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* 11. Of the uses that you selected, what are your top 3?

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* 12. To what degree is each of the listed datasets/layers useful in your land use planning decisions (or other work)?

  Very useful Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful Not Sure
Watershed sensitivity/vulnerability
Habitat potential
Current vegetation
Natural hazards
Climate change impacts
Development pressure
Cost of land
Land ownership
Demographics/economic context
Proximity to infrastructure (i.e. sewer system)
Planned land use
Open space/parks

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* 13. Are the datasets/layers you marked as important sufficient by themselves or are there important interactions or relationships with other layers that are necessary for realizing the full value of the data for planning?

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* 14. What kinds of scenario planning functions would be important to have in a plug and play interactive mapping environment?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Measurement tools
Filters
Querying capability
Links to other resources
Ability to overlay many layers
Ability to show change over time
Ability to calculate cumulative impacts of land use decisions
Historic context and potential future conditions scenarios
Ability to evaluate buildout scenarios
Step-wise process that could be applied by any planning jurisdiction to achieve A,B,C
Tools for assessing feasibility of site plans in relation to critical areas
Ability to save queries and scenarios
Ability to calculate benefits of protecting critical areas or doing restoration (i.e. ecosystem service values)
Ability to show how land use decisions affect areas downstream
Ability to show similar areas for potential mitigation
Ability to show areas where multiple planning goals intersect or conflict
Normalizing and quantifying biological and ecological values and conditions across land uses and jurisdictions at multiple scales

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* 15. We plan to include an interface that can process and calculate information from multiple data sources and models to answer your questions. You could change parameters to see how those changes would affect the other variables. The following questions will ask you to select the questions you would want to ask of the tool under different possible use scenarios.

Would you be interested in using the tool to identify and protect critical areas?

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* 16. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not Sure
Where are critical areas and buffers located?
What are the benefits and land use impacts of expanding a critical area buffer?
What is the acreage?
What is the current land use?
What is the proposed land use (zoning)?
How many landowners are affected?
What is the protection/restoration priority?
What is the watershed that encompasses the critical area?
What ecosystem services are provided by the critical area?
How does development affect critical area functions?
Which populations or priority species are associated with a critical area?
Which priority habitats does a critical area contain?

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* 17. Would you be interested in using the tool to inform decisions about planning or locating areas to restore?

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* 18. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Where are the opportunities for restoration?
How does zoning and development align with restoration priorities?
Where will climate change potentially limit long-term success of restoration efforts?
Where can land be added to wildlife corridors?
Where will restoration benefit priority species?
What ecosystem services can be restored?
What is the potential benefit of restoring an area (i.e. valued economically)?

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* 19. Would you be interested in using the tool to inform decisions about where to allow more intense levels of development?

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* 20. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Which watershed sub-basins are best suited for development?
Where will natural hazards/climate change threaten development?
Where is open land likely to remain undeveloped?
Where are the opportunities for development/redevelopment?
Which watershed or downstream critical areas will be affected by a proposed development?
How much buildable land remains in an area?
What are the impacts of upland development on aquatic resources?
What are the impacts of buildout scenarios?
In which areas would development minimize impacts on priority habitats and species?

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* 21. Would you be interested in using the tool to plan for the effects of climate change?

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* 22. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
How much carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services are provided by critical areas and urban trees?
How many trees would need to be planted to sequester carbon (or reduce temperatures, wind, erosion, pollution, etc by X amount?
How will sea level rise scenarios impact existing or potential development?
Where will sea level rise impact land ownership?
How will sea level rise scenarios impact conservation or restoration efforts?
How will sea level rise scenarios impact people?
Where will sea level rise scenarios and temperatures impact wetlands?
Where will sea level rise scenarios and temperatures impact streamflow?
Where are cold water refuges for fish?
Which fish-bearing streams will become too hot under temperature increase scenarios?
Where are the opportunities for riparian restoration to mitigate temperature increases in streams?
Where are the priority terrestrial wildlife habitats likely to expand or move from/to under climate change scenarios?
Which places should be conserved today in anticipation of being needed for species as they adapt to a changing climate?

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* 23. Would you be interested in using the tool for compliance monitoring or to identify where sensitive areas need greater protection?

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* 24. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Where has tree removal, disturbance, or development occurred in or near critical areas, other hazardous areas, or sensitive watersheds?
Where have working lands (agricultural, forest) been converted for development?
How much impervious surface has been built in sensitive watersheds?
Where is existing development located in hazardous areas?
Where are high levels of growth occurring in sensitive areas (i.e. sensitive watersheds, important resource lands)?
Where have wildlife corridors declined?
Where has vegetation been removed from riparian areas?
Where are water bodies not meeting regulatory standards for constituents affected by land use (i.e. nitrates, bacteria, etc)?
Where are Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) in effect?

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* 25. Would you be interested in using the tool to identify where policy or zoning changes could help meet development targets?

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* 26. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
How does zoning align with development and infill goals?
Which areas are appropriate for higher density development given the natural environment?
Where does zoning limit density in appropriate areas for development?
How much buildable land remains in an area of interest?
Which areas are at zoning capacity and potentially suitable for upzoning?
Where are high levels of housing growth occurring in areas that do not have adequate infrastructure (i.e. sewer, water, roads)?

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* 27. Would you be interested in using the tool to analyze changes in land use over time?

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* 28. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Where has zoning changed over a given time frame?
How much and where has working land (forest, agricultural) been lost to conversion?
How much and where has the amount of undeveloped land changed?
How does actual constructed land use align with planned land use (zoning)?
How much housing was gained compared with amount of land use change?
Where have lands that would have historically been considered critical areas been lost?
What is the annual per capita rate of new imperviousness and canopy clearing?

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* 29. Would you be interested in using the tool to assess the effects of land use decisions on regional recovery needs?

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* 30. If yes, which regional recovery needs would you want to assess?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Identifying and protecting ecologically important lands
Identifying priority areas for recovery actions
Changes in shoreline armoring
Changes in vegetation cover
Changes in contaminants and toxins in Puget Sound
Priority recovery areas for endangered species
Improvements in air quality
Priority areas for improving water quality
Changes in floodplain functions and values and priority recovery areas
Priority wildlife corridors for recovery

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* 31. Would you be interested in a tool that allows landowners to identify conservation opportunities, environmental hazards, or critical areas on their land?

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* 32. If yes, which questions would you want the tool to be able to answer?

  Very important (in my top 3) Important (but not in my top 3) Somewhat important Not important Not sure
Are there critical areas?
Are there natural hazards?
Is there a risk from climate change?
What ecosystem services are provided?
What conservation or incentive programs can I sign up for?
How can I improve the conservation value of my property?
How much financial support/credits can I get for improving conservation on my property?
How can I market the conservation value of my property to the conservation sector?
What is the relative importance of critical areas on my land?
Is my land suitable for providing a place for offsetting compensatory mitigation for a developer who wants to develop elsewhere?
Who can I contact to get help designing and implementing conservation actions (i.e. plans to thin overstocked forest areas)?
Who is the agency resource assigned to my area (i.e. WDFW habitat biologist, Ecology shoreline planner, wetland specialist, Commerce planner, DNR aquatic lands specialist)?

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* 33. Please rank the 9 possible use scenarios of the tool that you just explored in order of their importance to you and your work.

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* 34. In what other ways would you hope to use the tool? What other questions would you want it to answer?

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* 35. What output would be most useful (select all that apply)?

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* 36. What data, maps, models, or other resources should be included from your jurisdiction (or others you are aware of)?

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* 37. If you have experience using or developing decision support tools, what have been your biggest challenges (select all that apply)?

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* 38. Do you know of any similar tools/interfaces/products that we should look to as a good example for our project? If possible, please provide contact information for who has done this work (agencies and/or consultants).

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* 39. Would an integrated, regional tool provide added value for your work, when compared with what is currently available through your jurisdiction? Would you use it?

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* 40. Do you think a tool like this is needed? Why or why not?

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* 41. At what points and for what planning processes would it be used? How often?

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* 42. How important do you think it is to develop an integrated decision support tool for land use planning?

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* 43. Do you have any suggestions to enhance the feasibility and success of the project?

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* 44. Would you like to be involved in further conversations about the development of this tool? If yes, please provide contact information below (name, phone, email, affiliation).

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* 45. Do you know anyone else who should be included in our survey and/or follow up conversations? If so, please provide contact information below.

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