In Red Wing, Minnesota, the city is seeking to turn 200-acres of marshes and forests into a permanent conservation easement. A citizen group has complained that locking down the land forever is a bad idea.
The idea was spurred by the donation of 3 acres along the waterfront by a family conservation fund, with the city adding 202 acres to the easement. The citizen group calls itself "Voices of Red Wing."
From the Red Wing Republican Eagle: "You're not trusting future city councils do their job. It ties up everything down their for the future forever," voices member Stephen Castner said."
"Planning Director Brian Peterson wrote in a city memorandum an easement would be in line with the city's long-range vision for the area."
Read the full story: City looks to finalize riverfront easement
Land Conservation Increasing in Spite of Recession
Land trust have been able to increase their holds during the last five years. Lower land prices and conservation easements on working ranches and farms have enabled greater conservation efforts.
An Ursine Easement
A forest management company in Northern Idaho has set aside a 647-acre grizzly bear habitat. Part of the deal is that the company will not log while the grizzlies are in the house.
Public Lands Can Help Us Tackle the Housing Crisis in the West
The U.S. owns more than 650 million acres of public lands, and it has the power to sell or lease limited parcels for affordable housing. But mass disposal of public lands, as some legislators have proposed, is not the answer.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
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Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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.
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