Jump to main content.

Research Project Search
 Enter Search Term:
   
 NCER Advanced Search

Sustainable Sandhills: Developing a Plan for Regional Sustainability

EPA Grant Number: X832208 aka R832208
Title: Sustainable Sandhills: Developing a Plan for Regional Sustainability
Investigators: Parsons, Jon , Perritt, Richard
Current Investigators: Parsons, Jon , Brown, Jeff , Pulsipher, Susan
Institution: Sustainable Sandhills , North Carolina Department of Commerce , North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
EPA Project Officer: Bauer, Diana
Project Period: July 25, 2005 through July 24, 2008
Project Amount: $262,171
RFA: Collaborative Science & Technology Network for Sustainability (2004)
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development

Description:

Objective:

Environmental, economic, and social pressures continue to stress the landscape and infrastructure of the Sandhills region. The primary objectives of this project include:

  1. increasing awareness in the community of regional issues and
  2. implementing a regional plan that focuses on sustainability principles in each of the counties of the Sandhills region.

This project will benefit the Sandhills region of North Carolina, which includes the counties of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland, and the municipalities of Fayetteville, Lillington, Raeford, Southern Pines, Laurinburg, and Rockingham.

Approach:

A more integrated, systems-oriented approach to regional issues is necessary for the preservation of natural resources, as well as the enhancement of the quality of life in this region of central North Carolina. This project proposes the use of The Natural Step framework, a science-based approach to sustainability, to build awareness and acceptance of sustainability in the Sandhills. The project also proposes the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) model, based on data gathered from community workshops. The purpose of the model is to inform the regional planning process, through the analysis and visualization of land suitability for development and conservation.

Expected Results:

The final measure of success is the adoption of a regional plan in each of the six counties in the Sandhills region. The measures of success for the economic, environmental, and social dimensions include:

  1. Economic - The long-term goal is to create a vibrant local economy. Short-term success measures include the participation of community and business members from each of the counties in the visioning, planning, and implementation process.
  2. Environmental - The long-term goal is to promote effective land use planning. Short-term success measures include data gathering at community workshops, the creation of a GIS model based on data from each of the six counties, and the tracking of land use patterns against a baseline of current land use.
  3. Social - The long-term goal is to increase awareness in the community and improve community engagement in regional issues. Short-term success measures include the participation and representation of the Sandhills’ communities in the workshops.

Supplemental Keywords:

ecosystem, indicators, habitat, sustainable development, public policy, decisionmaking, community-based, conservation, smart growth, collaboration, environmental footprint, economic development, quality of life, community planning, land suitability model,
Relevant Websites:

http://www.sustainablesandhills.org/ exit EPA

Progress and Final Reports:
2006 Progress Report

Top of page

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.