Conservation Tools

Ideas for creating more livable and prosperous communities. Principle 6. Reduce the Impact of the Car and Promote Walkability, starts on page 117.

In Cecil County, Maryland, 16 ecosystem services provided by forests and wetlands provide services valued at $2.1 billion a year. That amount is equivalent to two-thirds of the county’s total economic output of $3.3 billion. Large, contiguous blocks of forests and wetlands are most likely to contain fully functioning ecosystems, and therefore are more likely to provide valuable ecosystem services, which shows that preservation of these contiguous blocks is a vital investment.

This publication introduces green infrastructure as a strategic approach to land conservation that is critical to the success of smart growth initiatives and describes the concept and values of green infrastructure and presents seven principles and associated strategies for successful green infrastructure initiatives.