States are increasingly becoming major players of land conservation agreements between private landowners and preservation groups.
Seeking to connect the dots of environmentally sensitive areas, more states are dedicating significant funds for land acquisition and joining forces with nonprofit conservation groups to protect entire landscapes and watersheds.
Seizing the opportunity to create a southwest Florida conservation corridor, the "Florida Forever" land acquisition program helped to finance the purchase of 74,000 acres in that part of the state. In California, the state led an effort to acquire the development rights for the 128-square-mile Hearst Ranch, gateway to the Big Sur and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. And the "Yellowstone to Yukon" initiative envisions the creation of a 2,000-mile wildlife corridor stretching from Wyoming to the Arctic Circle.
The blend of public and private investment with voluntary agreements and easements from private landowners is seeking to make the buzzword "ecoregionalism" a reality.
Read the full story: Green Pieces
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Raised interest rates may kill financially vulnerable construction projects
The chief economist at ConstructConnect warns that if construction project owners are negatively impacted by the raised rates, it could result in delayed payments to contractors.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello