Locally based, long-term open space conservation plans help communities protect their environment, improve quality of life, and preserve critical elements of the local heritage, culture, and economy. Like development, conservation can be either planned or haphazard. Well-managed open space programs protect a community's natural green infrastructure, providing places for recreation, preserving important environmental and ecological functions, and enhancing quality of life.

Lack of planning can lead to fragmentation of conserved lands. From 2000 to 2014, voters approved nearly $53 billion in funding for land conservation in local and state referenda (see the Trust for Public Land's LandVote Exit database for more information). In many cases, however, communities passed these referenda as a reactive measure to help preserve the "last wetland" or the "last community farm."

While a reactive preservation strategy can preserve critical lands, it often does so in a scattershot way, so that conserved lands are fragmented. Small fragments of conserved land have less ecological value as wildlife corridors, are less accessible to community members, and have reduced value in directing growth to existing areas than larger parcels connected by corridors.

To help communities plan their preservation efforts, EPA works with national, regional, and local partners to provide tools and resources to identify and prioritize areas to achieve smart conservation. EPA aims to help communities identify critical areas for preservation, such as large areas of high-quality habitat, corridors, stream buffers, and wetlands, to help them become more proactive in conservation planning.

Resources

Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space Exit, Trust for Public Land (1999): Discusses how land conservation helps communities grow smartly and protect the bottom line. Chapters discuss attracting investment, revitalizing cities, boosting tourism, protecting farms and ranches, preventing flood damage, and safeguarding the environment.

The Source Protection Handbook Exit, Trust for Public Land, (2005): Explains how land conservation protects drinking water sources and recharge lands and discusses best practices and case studies from communities across America.

Community Resource Inventory Online Exit: Helps communities assess their natural and cultural resources.

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