A new book by scientist Rebecca Kihslinger and environmental lawyer James McElfish, shows that American communities have ways to protect the regional environment.
Land development decisions present the most significant threats to wildlife and functioning ecological systems in the US. But there is often a mismatch between the scale at which land development decisions are made and the scale at which conservation must be addressed in order to succeed.
This unique book, Nature-Friendly Land Use Practices at Multiple Scales, is organised around eight detailed case studies of private land developers, local governments, and public agencies that have worked across jurisdictional and ecological boundaries to effectively address habitat conservation. The book includes two essays by leading conservation biologists who link planning at scale with sound land use decisions.
The book articulates six lessons or “best practices” for the design and implementation of programs and projects that incorporate effective conservation at multiple scales:
∙ creating and sustaining an independent entity focused on habitat, including regional conservation efforts;
∙ maintaining dynamic access to conservation science;
∙ “branding” a project or place as wildlife-supporting;
∙ identifying regional habitat conservation opportunities and funding sources;
∙ educating the community in order to increase citizen involvement;
∙ achieving external certification in order to maintain a project’s continuity as nature-friendly over time.
These key elements provide planners, developers, and government agencies with attainable objectives for the design and implementation of land use programs that incorporate wildlife conservation at multiple scales.
