Community Conservation

Private land protection is one element of what makes our communities feel like “home.” Preservation of cherished local landmarks, uninterrupted scenic vistas, and productive family farms contributes to the quality of life we enjoy. Each of us plays a role in creating the vision for our town or village or city. Land trusts and others can provide tools for realizing that vision.

Comprehensive planning sets the broad picture for how the community would like to grow, what cultural, natural and civic resources are important, and how open space and natural places are integrated into the built infrastructure of our communities. Conservation subdivisions offer one model for integrating green spaces into the neighborhoods where we live, and minimize the impact of development on critical natural resources. Purchase of development rights programs (PDRs) maintain productive farmland by providing farmers with alternatives to selling their land for development.

Related links

The value of open space

Smart growth

Conservation subdivisions

Purchase of Development Rights

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report

The Big-Box Tool-kit: A Guide to Sustaining Communities

The Economics of Land Conservation (PDF)