The purpose of this section is to protect environmentally sensitive lands including flood hazard areas, steep slopes, hydric soils, Karst hazard areas, riparian buffers, preexisting tree groves, and historic assets or structures from adverse impacts caused by development. The limits of these areas shall be considered throughout the entirety of the Township where such assets or resources areas exist. Applications for land development or zoning permits shall include a specific field survey which precisely maps the location and extent of these physical restraints. Additionally:

Determination of Areas of Steep Slope. Areas of steep slopes with slopes of 15% or greater, as shown on the overlay map, were taken from 7.5 minute series quadrangle sheets of the U.S. Geological Survey. Field survey information of greater accuracy may be submitted by the applicant, and, if accepted by the Township Engineer, may be utilized for purposes of this section in lieu of the Township map.

Regulation for Areas of Steep Slope. Upon determination that the lot under consideration is partially or wholly an area of steep slope, the following regulations shall apply:

Determination of Areas of Hydric Soils. Hydric soils are poorly drained soils that can support hydrophytic plants, but not do so in many cases. The hydric soils shown on the Official Zoning Map were taken from the 1963 Soils Survey for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The following hydric soils are found in Lower Macungie Township:

Regulation for Areas of Hydric Soils. Upon determination that the lot under consideration is partially or wholly an area of hydric soils, the following regulations shall apply:

During site design, every attempt shall be made to avoid placement of roads, driveways, structures, on-lot sewage treatment or stormwater management facilities in the location of any tree or groups of trees with a diameter of six inches or more (measured at a height of four feet above grade). Should no other feasible option be available, it shall be clearly demonstrated in plans that shall be reviewed and may be approved by the Township. Trees listed as invasive by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall be exempt from this requirement.

All trees with a diameter of six inches or more (measured at a height of four feet above grade) shall not be removed as part of construction or initiation of land use unless they are located within an approved portion of public or private road right-of-way or driveway, within a proposed stormwater basin or within a building foundation footprint as approved by the Township, on-lot sewage treatment, or they are diseased or pose a clear danger or risk to a building. Any other tree removal shall comply with § 10-305 of the Lower Macungie Township Municipal Code, Timber Harvesting.

During construction, trees greater than six inches in diameter shall be protected and not injured or removed due to construction-related activity. Fencing of at least four feet in height shall be established at the edge of the tree dripline to ensure protection of the trunk and root system during establishment of erosion and sedimentation controls.

All screen plantings and buffers should incorporate existing natural woodland area and trees per § 27-1803.

Any tree of six inches or more in diameter severely damaged by disease, rot, infestation, weather or fire shall be exempt from the provisions of this section after photographic documentation and reasonable efforts have been demonstrated to the Township to preserve the tree.

Any tree of six inches or more in diameter felled from a site shall be restored with a replacement tree of the same or similar species of at least 2.5 inches in caliper if deciduous and eight feet in height if evergreen and in further compliance of § 10-305 of the Lower Macungie Township Municipal Code, Timber Harvesting Regulations.

The removal of any trees for forestry, logging or other similar purposes shall comply with § 10-305 of the Lower Macungie Township Municipal Code, Timber Harvesting.

All existing sycamore trees on Hamilton Boulevard shall be preserved. Any proposal for land development, conditional use, site plan or other regulated activity shall incorporate these trees into any plan or application submitted to the Township.

If a reasonable doubt exists whether a portion of a site would meet the federal and/or state definition of a "wetland," any applicant is required to provide a wetlands delineation study by a qualified professional for review. A description of the qualifications of the person who accomplished the delineation shall be provided to the Township in addition to the full study for review and approval.

The initial width determination of any zero disturbance riparian buffer corridor and the subsequent identification on any plan that is submitted to the Township for subdivision, land development or any other regulated activity requiring a permit shall be the responsibility of the property owner, developer or a duly appointed representative. The submission of such findings and determination shall be subject to the review and approval of the Township.

A zero disturbance riparian buffer area of 75 feet shall be established from any edge of the following resource area features:

This zero disturbance buffer shall protect existing or promote new growth in riparian areas and zones abutting surface waters. In the cases of a stream, creek, brook or other moving water body, the buffer shall be applied to both sides from the edge of the resource feature, as seen in the Lower Macungie Design Guidelines. Any proposed plantings in this riparian buffer zone shall be proposed in a planting or seeding schedule constituting native species to be reviewed and approved by the Township.

Only the following activities shall be permitted in the zero disturbance buffer area:

A wetland and surface water resource setback of 25 feet from the edge of the zero disturbance riparian buffer shall apply to all delineated wetlands, confirmed vernal pools and surface waters within the Township. Any proposed work or disturbance in this setback must be designed on a plan by a qualified design professional and submitted to the Township for review and approval. Any proposed plantings in this riparian buffer zone shall be proposed in a planting or seeding schedule constituting native species to be reviewed and approved by the Township.

Permitted activities in the riparian buffer setback shall include: lawns, accessory structures, roads, driveways, trail, paths, utilities, passive outdoor recreation and education facilities provided that they do not cause aforementioned negative impacts as set forth by this section.

In the case that such disturbance of the riparian setback and resource area is the subject of a subdivision, land development or site plan, a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) search shall be conducted and a report compiled and submitted as part of submission to the Township.

Example of required zero disturbance zone and FEMA floodplains:

Any proposed new or retrofitted stormwater basin, swale or other stormwater structure or BMP shall be installed to a naturalized state as currently accepted by best environmental science standards. A naturalized state shall constitute avoidance of excessive earth moving or destruction of natural amenities, utilization of natural materials such as rock and stone in lieu of poured concrete, the planting of native grasses and wildflowers for ground cover and the installation of native trees, bushes, shrubs and other perennials to absorb site-based sheet flow and other stormwater run-off.

Areas of passive open space shall either be converted to native meadow or planted for reforestation. Passive trails and paths with appropriate accessories shall be permitted in these spaces when approved by the Township and have a manicured lawn buffer of five feet on each side before commencement of naturalized area, excluding any riparian buffer area.

All property and lands in the township shall responsibly manage dangerous or toxic vegetation and be kept free and clear of any noxious vegetation listed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's noxious weeds list, all vegetation listed as invasive by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and all bamboo species, including but not limited to Bambusa, Phyllostachys, and Pseudosasa, and including common bamboo, golden bamboo and arrow bamboo (collectively, "bamboo").

Any site that contains a structure on the National Registry or is recognized in another fashion by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lehigh County or Lower Macungie Township shall comply with all provisions of this chapter. Additionally, where a land development is to occur on a proposed site, the existing structure shall be considered for preservation and/or adaptive reuse, if the current use ceases. Applications for land development shall include a feasibility study for preservation of the structure to be submitted to the Township for review.

Nonhabitable structures of historic nature or heritage significance, such as silos, windmills, limekilns, gristmills, towers, trestles, bridges, cemeteries, burial plots, stone foundations or ruins, shall be preserved, restored and incorporated into any proposed subdivision, land development, site plan or other regulated activity. Submitted plans shall show this preservation or reuse and be included in any submitted feasibility study to the Township.