Regional Ecosytem Framework
Regional Ecosytem Framework
Purpose:
The Regional Ecosystem Framework, or REF, is a tool that identifies areas of relative ecological importance in the Dallas/Fort Worth region. Transportation partners and local governments that are developing infrastructure projects can use the REF as a preliminary screening tool to identify environmental impacts their projects may have and identify mitigation areas to offset any impacts.
Description:
The REF uses a watershed approach to define areas of ecological importance because ecosystems do not follow city, county or other political boundaries. The tool evaluates ecological priorities at the subwatershed level using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and designates scores based on: Green Infrastructure, including the presence of natural lands, agricultural lands, and wildlife habitat; Ecosystem Value, including the rarity and diversity of plants and animals and the sustainability of the ecosystem compared to the entire ecoregion; and Water Considerations, including the presence of impaired water segments, flood zones, and wetlands; and the quantity of surface water in the subwatershed.
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