part iii: quantifying soil disturbance - new jersey · 2014-12-12 · rowan geolab soil disturbance...

Part III: Quantifying Soil Disturbance

Step 1 - Contract with Rowan University GEOLAB to Measure Land Uses on Preserved

and Unpreserved Farms Through Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)


What Are Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?

Rowan GIS Database Design of Land Use Classifications ENUM CODE LAND USE TYPE1 UNKNOWN Unknown2 FARMYARD "Other" agriculture - pasture, etc. Natural Resources3 BUILDING Houses, barns, greenhouses, farm markets Permanent Disturbance4 SILO Silos Permanent Disturbance5 TOWER Cell, electrical, wind turbine Permanent Disturbance6 PIT Other permanent depression Permanent Disturbance7 PARKING - PAVED Areas where vehicles stop; paved/surfaced Permanent Disturbance8 PARKING - UNPAVED Areas where vehicles stop; unpaved/unsurfaced but compacted Permanent Disturbance9 FARMLANE - PAVED Areas where vehicles travel; paved/surfaced Permanent Disturbance 10 FARMLANE - UNPAVED Areas where vehicles travel; unpaved/unsurfaced Temporary Disturbance11 HOOPHOUSE Semi-permanent structures Temporary Disturbance12 WEED FABRIC Rows of dark fabric/plastic in a field Temporary Disturbance13 SOLAR PANELS Area of solar panels, not an assumption on the foundation/supports Temporary Disturbance14 HARDSCAPE Patios, basketball/tennis courts Permanent Disturbance15 EQUINE TRACK/ARENA Horse tracks and arenas; check infield for ponds Permanent Disturbance16 POOL Swimming pools or ornamental ponds Permanent Disturbance17 MAN MADE POND Man-made water surface area Permanent Disturbance 18 STORM BASIN Man made, intermittent water Permanent Disturbance19 NATURAL WATER Natural Water Natural Resources20 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Agricultural Production Natural Resources21 WOODLAND Woodlands Natural Resources22 WETLANDS Non-Agricultural Wetlands (from DEP Land Use/Land Cover) Natural Resources23 BARREN Barren, impacted lands not part of the farmyard Natural Resources

DESCRIPTIONNot null, reviewed and still unsure

Rowan GIS Mapping of Land Use Classifications

Rowan GEOLAB - Individual vs. Collective Disturbances

Rowan GEOLAB Soil Disturbance Results

Phase I - 100% of Preserved Farms Measured (2,198 Farms)

Phase II - Statistically Valid Random Sample of Unpreserved Farms Measured; Farms with

> Median Farmland Assessment Value Targeted (654 Farms)

Total - 2,852 Farms, 224,289 Acres Measured (31.4% of all farms and farm acreage in NJ)

*90% of Farms Have Permanent Disturbance

Step 2 - Aggregate Permanent Disturbance Numbers and Compare Results of Both Phases

of Rowan’s Study


Frequency of Rowan Disturbance Acreage on Preserved Farms (1,414 Farms -- 64% of Total -- Have 1 Acre of Disturbance;

97% of Farms Have 0 - 3 Acres, 99% of Farms Have 0 - 6 Acres)

Rowan Disturbance Averages/Percentages (For Farms with Permanent Disturbance)

PRESERVED FARMS UNPRESERVED FARMS

Farm Size Avg. Dist. Acreage/% of Farm Disturbed Avg. Dist. Acreage/% of Farm Disturbed

5-25 Acres 0.47 Acres (2.78%) 0.40 Acres (3.47%)




200+ Acres 4.84 Acres (1.52%) 6.88 Acres (1.80%)

All 1.34 Acres (1.40%) 0.69 Acres (2.07%)

Part IV: Proposing a Soil Disturbance Limitation


Step 1 - Calculate Standard Deviations for Rowan’s Data to Ascertain Range of

Disturbance Values

*Standard deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its average (both above and below it). The more the data is spread apart, the higher the standard deviation.

Statistical Analysis of Rowan’s Data - Preserved Farms (Upper Range of Disturbance Is 5% on Average)

Premises Average Average Standard Upper Range Upper Range

Acreage Farm Disturbance Deviation Disturbance Disturbance

Scale Acres Acres Disturbance Acres % of Avg. Acres Farm Acres

- Ac s

- Ac s

- Ac s

- Ac s

Ac s All


Statistical Analysis of Rowan’s Data - Unpreserved Farms (Upper Range of Disturbance Is 5% on Average)

is s A a A a Standa d Ran Ran

Ac a a Distu anc D iation Distu anc Distu anc

Scal Ac s Ac s Distu anc Ac s of A Ac s a Ac s

- Ac s

- Ac s

- Ac s

- Ac s

Ac s All


Landowner Farm Acres

Total Individual

Permanent

Disturbances

Dun-Rite Sand & Gravel Co. 826.12 52.86

Statistical Outlier - Rowan Unpreserved Farms Study (>200-Acre Size Group)


Step 2 - Provide for Future Growth

Proposed Soil Disturbance Limitation

Premises Acreage Maximum Permitted Soil

Disturbance Limitation

5 - 25 acres 2.5 acres1

25.001 acres and above 10% of Premises Acreage

1 Every farm needs a minimum amount of disturbance acreage. In addition, smaller farms have a higher percentage of disturbance.

Proposed Soil Disturbance Limitation - Additional Provisions

- Topsoil must not be removed from the premises. - Any stripping or stockpiling of the topsoil must be

performed in accordance with a farm conservation plan.


Step 3 - Test the Proposed Soil Disturbance Limitation Against Preserved and Unpreserved

Farms

Draft Disturbance Allocation Currently Utilized With Pond and Paved Farmlanes Exemptions Applied - Preserved Farms (6.13% out of 100% Capacity Utilized on Average; Exception Areas Around Bldgs. Not Applied, Which Increases Capacity)

Premises Acreage Scale

Farms Farm Acres

Draft Disturbance Allocation Acres (2.5

Acres for 5-25 Premises Acreage Scale, Then 10% of

Premises)

Disturbance Acres (Less Man-Made Ponds and Paved

Farm Lanes Exemptions)

Draft Allocation Capacity Currently

Utilized

5 - 25 acres 274 4,636.05 685.00 84.83 12.38%

26 - 50 acres 480 17,961.66 1,796.17 211.41 11.77%

51 - 75 acres 403 25,088.91 2,508.89 189.70 7.56%

76 - 200 acres 865 102,240.08 10,224.01 535.08 5.23%

200 acres + 176 55,873.00 5,587.30 254.74 4.56%

All 2,198 205,799.70 20,801.37 1,275.77 6.13%

Compliance With Draft Limitation - Preserved and Unpreserved Farms

*Applying exception areas to compliant farms would further widen the disturbance % and capacity % between compliant and non-compliant farms (exception areas were already subtracted from non-compliant farms).

Total Farms 2,198 654 2,852

Total Compliant Farms 2,182 653 2,835

Total Non-Compliant Farms 16 1 17

% of Farms Compliant 99.27% 99.85% 99.40%

% of Farms Non-Compliant 0.73% 0.15% 0.60%

Disturbance % of Farm - Compliant Farms 0.56% 1.54% 0.64%

Disturbance % of Farm - Non-Compliant Farms 17.45% 16.18% 17.43%

% Allocation Capacity Utilized - Compliant Farms 5.56% 10.94% 6.16%

% Allocation Capacity Utilized - Non-Compliant Farms 172.49% 128.69% 171.90%

Preserved Farms Unpreserved Farms Both Farm Types AggregatedCompliance Metrics


Step 4 - Qualitative Evaluation in Addition to Quantitative - Is 10% Limitation Too High, Too

Low, or Just Right?

Non-Compliant Farm #1 - Vertical Aerial Photograph

Non-Compliant Farm #1 - Oblique Aerial Photograph

Non-Compliant Farm #1 - Disturbance Classification 18% Disturbance (510-Acre Farm)

(23 ac. of bldgs; 18 ac. of unpaved parking; 54 ac.of paved farm lanes)

16% Disturbance (32-Acre Farm)

3.6 bldg. ac.; 0.4 paved parking ac.; 1.2 paved lane ac.

Non-Compliant Farm #2 – Disturbance Classification

Non-Compliant Farm #3 - Disturbance Classification 30% Disturbance (51-Acre Farm)

1.4 ac. bldgs.; 5.9 ac. equine track ac.; 7.8 ac. pond inside track


Step 5 - Ground Truth Farms to Augment GIS Analysis

(5% of All Preserved Farms Visited)

Step 5 - Ground Truthing

Part V: Exemptions, Waivers, and Remediation

part iii: quantifying soil disturbance - new jersey · 2014-12-12 · rowan geolab soil disturbance...

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