Cooperating Across Boundaries

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C o o p e r a t i n g

a C r o s s B o u n d a r i e sp a r t n e r s h i p s t o C o n s e r v e

o p e n s p a C e i n r u r a l a m e r i C

United StatesDepartment oAgriculture

Forest Service

FS-861

August 2006


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F o r F u r t h e r i n F o r m a t i o n

Caire HarperUSDA Forest Serice

Cooperatie Forestry1400 Independence Ae, SW

Mai Stop 1123Washington, DC 20250-1123

Phone: (202) [email protected]

Tom Crow

USDA Forest SericeResearch & Deeopment1400 Independence Ae, SW

Mai Stop 1113Washington, DC 20250-1113

Phone: (703) [email protected]

www.s.ed.us/projects/our-threats

The U.S. Department o Agricuture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in a its programs and actiities on

the basis o race, coor, nationa origin, age, disabiity, and where appicabe, sex, marita status, amiia status,parenta status, reigion, sexua orientation, genetic inormation, poitica beies, reprisa, or because a or parto an indiiduas income is deried rom any pubic assistance program. (Not a prohibited bases appy to aprograms.) Persons with disabiities who require aternatie means or communication o program inormation(Braie, arge print, audiotape, etc.) shoud contact USDAs TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (oice andTDD). To e a compaint o discrimination, write USDA, Director, Oce o Cii Rights, 1400 IndependenceAenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or ca (800) 795-3272 (oice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).USDA is an equa opportunity proider and empoyer


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COOPERATING ACROSS BOUNDARIESPARTNERSHIPS TO CONSERvE

OPEN SPACE IN RURAl AMERICA

Growth and and conseration are oten seen as two

opposing orceswith proponents o each scrambing

to beat the other to auabe and. Fortunatey, a new

paradigm is emerging. Deeopment and conseration o

open space can be compatibe and compementary when

appied in strategic, coaboratie ways.

This pubication ocuses on the benets o partner-

ships and working across jurisdictiona boundaries to con-

sere the rapidy dwinding open space o rura America.

We are osing 6,000 acres o open space each day across

the United States, at a rate o 4 acres per minute. Our

and deeopment is outpacing popuation growth, es-

peciay in rura areas where the pattern o growth is owdensity, dispersed housing.

The Nations orests are particuary unerabe.

Counties with nationa orests and grassands are

experiencing some o the highest growth rates as peope

moe to be cose to pubic ands. Unortunatey, as ands

near the nationa orest borders are subdiided, our abiity

to manage the pubic and or heathy orests and pubic

enjoyment becomes increasingy dicut. The uture is

een ess certain where orests are in priate ownership

as the ast majority aresince residentia growth aters

the abiity o these orests to proide ecosystem serices

and pubic benets such as water quaity, widie habitat,

and a sustainabe fow o orest products.

Our agency is committed to heping nd soutions.

let me emphasize that the Forest Serice is not in the

business o reguating priate andsandowners and

oca eected ocias hae the principa responsibiity or

deciding which ands can be deeoped and which shoud

be consered as open space. We are aso not the ony

agency with a roe in open space conseration. Howeer,

we are committed to working in partnership with others

on this issue and can contribute many resources to hep

consere ita ands in rura America.

vibrant rura economies and rura jobs are inextrica-

by inked to consering the oundation o todays growth

in our scenic rura communitiespentiu open space.

DAlE N. BOSWORTH

Chie

USDA Forest Serice

i

l e t t e r F r o m t h e C h i e F

o F t h e F o r e s t s e r v i C e

Chie Bosworth (ront) has identied the loss o open space as one o

our threats acing our Nations orests and grasslands.


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Many thanks to the oowing or sharing theirtime and expertise in writing and reiewing thispubication.

FOREST SERvICE PROJECT TEAM

C h, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

t Cw, Research & Deeopment

rck Cky, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

a h, Research & Deeopment

FOREST SERvICE RESEARCH TEAM

B B, Northern Research Station

C F, Rocky Mountain Research Station

d W, Southern Research Station

ec gf, Northern Research Station

Jff K, Pacic Northwest Research Station

K r, Southern Research Station

p gb, Northern Research Station

r a, Pacic Northwest Research Station

s sw, Northern Research Station

FOREST SERvICE REvIEWERS

B e, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

Cy By, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

dbb p, Widie, Fish & Water, Nationa Forest

System

db W, Partnership Oce, Nationa Forest System

d mf, Partnership Oce, Nationa Forest System

Ky Ct, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

K l, Ecosystem Management, Nationa Forest System

K s, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

K C, Urban & Community Forestry, State & Priate

Forestry

l F, Strategic Panning & Resource Assessment

m r, Forest Management, Nationa Forest System

mk dc, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

mk h, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

py hw, Urban & Community Forestry, State & Priate

Forestry

r gff, Range Management, Nationa Forest System

r mcW, Sustainabiity, State & Priate Forestry

sy C, Chesapeake Bay Program, Northeastern Area

s m, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

s s, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

t B, Cooperatie Forestry, State & Priate Forestry

PARTNERS

r sw, Bouder County

l e, Chesapeake Bay FoundationJcqy Cy, City o Missoua

t Kw, Coaition or Utahs Future

d tb, Coorado State Uniersity

ec n, Cooperatie State Research, Education, and

Extension Serice

mw dby, Enironmenta Protection Agency

p v, Enironmenta Protection Agency

my mj, Greater Yeowstone Coordinating Committee

r K, Maine Bureau o Parks and lands

ab F, Nationa Association o Counties

i mcF, Nationa Association o State Foresters

gy s, Northwest Coorado Counci o Goernments

ec my, The Conseration Fund

K dy, The Nature Conserancy, Maine

l hbb, The Nature Conserancy, Idaho

l mk, The Nature Conserancy

s sk, The Nature Conserancy, Arizona

B rb, US Conerence o Mayors

B p, Washington Department o Natura Resources

a Jk, Wison Mier, Inc.

WRITING AND PUBlISHING

db rc obb, Technica Writer, Deborah Richie

Communications

ncy s a, Graphic Design

s C, Photo Seection and Editing

my J s, Editing

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

a C K n o W l e d g e m e n t s

ii


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EXECUTIvE SUMMARY..........................................2

INTRODUCTION .......................................................4Key Terms and Denitions ....................................... 7

Fact Sheet: Why Are Open Spaces Important? ........ 8

RATES AND TRENDS: A Changing Rura America...10Regiona Snapshots................................................. 13

Case Study: Greater Wasatch Area, Utah ............... 14

Index o Open Space Change in the United States ... 15

DRIvERS OF CHANGE:Migration to Rura America .................................. 19Case Study: Coier County, Forida ....................... 23

SIGNIFICANCE OF OPEN SPACE........................ 24

1. Fresh Water Deiery and Food Contro ...........25

Case Study: Chesapeake Bay Watershed .......... 26

2. Rura Ways o lie .............................................. 27

Case Study: The Northern Forest ..................... 28

3. Widie Diersity and Corridors ........................ 29Case Study: Greater Yeowstone Region ......... 31

4. Widand Fire .................................................... 32

5. Recreation Opportunities.................................... 33

Case Study: Washington State ......................... 34

6. Economic Benets o Open lands ..................... 35

Index o Open Space Signicance and Threats .... 36

PARTNERSHIPS FOR COOPERATINGACROSS BOUNDARIES.................................... 37

Case Study: Bouder County, Coorado ................. 40

CONClUSION: Fie Key Messages........................... 43

FOREST SERvICE TOOlS FOR OPEN SPACECONSERvATION............................................... 44

REFERENCES ........................................................... 46

C o n t e n t s

C O N T E N T S

Columbine and Parnassian Butterfy.

Photos on cover provided by USDA Forest Service (USDA FS), USDA

Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) and U.S. Fish and

Wildlie Service (USFWS).


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People are building homes in rural areas to enjoy scenic beauty andother open space amenities.

2

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

e X e C u t i v e s u m m a r Y

New houses with large lots are ragmenting orests and arms at a

higher rate than i they were clustered together .

ebow room. This ow-density growth (whether 5-acre or40-acre parces) scattered across the andscape resuts inecoogica and economic impacts as open spaces are diidedinto sma ownership parces. Each new house added to therura andscape aects a arger area than a house on the urbanringe. Oten, the most desirabe home sites ie in ecoogicayragie areas, ike streamsides or winter ranges o deer or ek.

As we subdiide orests and grassands, rura areas ace adwinding o economic returns to arming, ranching, andogging enterprises. New roads and other inrastructure thatsere scattered homes ragment widie habitat, bock widiemoement, and oster the spread o inasie species. Countiespay more or serices to outying residences than they take inrom property taxes. Conerting orests to buidings and paedsuraces, ike roads and parking, resuts in the oss o naturaters that ceanse our water.

When we buid more homes within and adjacent towidands, we put more property and peope at risk towidre. More than one-third o a houses now a withinthis widand-urban interace (Radeo et a. 2005). Inaddition, the increasing popuation iing near nationa orestsand other pubic ands has ed to an upsurge in unmanagedrecreationa use that damages ragie resources.

Finding a sustainabe baance between buit areas andopen space heps protect water quaity; conseres natiewidie; buers homes rom widre; assures a uture or work-ing arms, ranches, and timberands; suppies access to outdoorrecreation; eeates home aues; reduces the cost o commu-nity serices; and enhances our quaity o ie.

r u r a l a r e a s with open spaceare experiencing unprecedented growth. Retirees, secondhome owners, commuters, and others are choosingto buid homes in rura areas to enjoy the many benetsproided by orests, akes, riers, coasts, mountains, and pubicand. The astest deeoping areas incude the South, North-east, Rocky Mountain West, Upper Great lakes, and Ozarks.

As more peope hae the means to moe to sceniccountrysides, the open space that attracts these new

residents is increasingy at risk o deeopment. The heath andwe-being o our rura open space aects city andcountry residents aike. Undeeoped orests and grassandsincuding working arms, ranches, and timberandsproidecean drinking water, wood and agricutura products, widiehabitat, recreation opportunities, and natura-resource-basedjobs. Urban areas oten depend on rura open spaces or water,ood, and ber production.

Current growth trends are showing a steady oss oopen space. From 1982 to 2001, 34 miion acres o openspace, equiaent to the State o Iinois, were conerted to

deeopment. For orest and aone, the United States ost 10miion acres to deeopment rom 1982 to 1997, with 26 mi-ion additiona acres projected to be deeoped by 2030 (Aigand Pantinga 2004).

The patterns o rura growth are as signicant as the totaamount o deeopment. Peope moe to the country to nd

RegentsoftheUniversityofMinnesota.Allrightsreserved.

Usedwithpermission.

USDANRCS


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Who should read this publication:

County and municipal ocials, landowners, State

and Federal agencies, nonprot organizations, private

companies, citizens, and others interested in conserving

rural open space.

Purpose of the Document:

Encourage cross-boundary partnerships to

strategically conserve open space across the landscape. Share

research on the importance o open space and how growth

trends may aect the benets these lands provide to society.

Oer Forest Service resources and inormation to help com-

munities balance growth and conservation.

This Document includes:

Key research ndings rom Forest Service and other re-

searchers.

Case studies o how communities across the United States

are conserving open space and guiding growth in rural areas.

Examples and highlights o how the Forest Service can help.

A promising strategy toachiee a sustainabe baanceis to work cooperatiey acrossboundaries to protect andmanage open spaces across theandscape. Case studies eaturedin this pubication iustrate howcommunities are takinginnoatie approaches to protectopen space and accommodate

new growth.

Open space includes beautiul landscapes like this one in Idahonatural

areas that are also providing us with many services, rom clean water to

wildlie habitat (see actsheet on page 10).


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The quality of life offered by the experience of wild lands

attracts people who want to move to our community:

It attracts tourism visitors and it also attracts people who

appreciate it so much they decide to relocate their businesses here,

which in turn helps diversify our economy.

SUN vAllEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, IDAHO (Rasker et a. 2004)

It seems like every woodlot is for sale, and

everybodys looking for that piece of property thats close

to public property. They develop and build around it.

FlORIDA (USDA FS 2002)

Wak into the corner ca in any discoered ruraparadise and you might catch a heated conersation oer

mugs o coee that goes something ike

All this growth is good or business.

People moving in are keeping this place alive.

But everywhere you look, theres a new house.

Were losing our open lands and thats what olks are

coming or.

Its getting harder to get around. Theres more tra-

fc and people who drive too ast. Dont those new olks

realize we live at a slower pace here?

I N T R O D U C T I O N

i n t r o d u C t i o n

a C h a n g i n g r u r a l a m e r i C a

Grapping with growth and change is a commontheme in many parts o rura America. Trends reea twointerreated types o rura growth. The rstand the ocus othis pubicationis drien by the appea o natura amenities,outdoor recreation, and aorabe retirement ocations. Thesecond kind o rura growth resuts rom expanding urbanand manuacturing areas, where peope moe or jobsor aordabiity.

Businesses are increasingy ocating in rura areas withopen space amenities because o the competitie adantage o

a high quaity o ie or their empoyees. Industries such astourism, outdoor recreation, and second home constructioncapitaize on scenic beauty and the proximity o paces to hike,bike, and sh.

As peope seek the good ie, rura communitiesstrugge to adjust to change. Whie wecoming new jobs andeconomies, they are worried about osing the ands and way oie they hae known.

USDAFS

Permanent migration to a rural area oten ollows three steps: 1. vaca-

tion, 2. second home ownership, and 3. migration (Stewart and Stynes

1994).

USDANRCS


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C O M I N G T O G E T H E R T O

A D D R E S S G R O W T H

What is the answer to those morning coee debatesin cas across rura America? Estabishing a diaogue andprocess or sharing inormation is a good pace to start workingtogether to buid a andscape ision that maintains rura auesimportant to both od and new residents.

Who shoud sit at the tabe to hep chart the course? Inregions ike the Eastern United States, open ands are pre-dominanty in priate ownership. Here, the stakehoders and

partners might incude arge andowners, such as timber com-panies, amiy orest owners, State agencies, and oca ocias.In the West where pubic ands can dominate, orest

rangers, bioogists, and other Federa and State agency o-cias hae an opportunity to join with county commissioners;panners; homeowners; priate andowners, such as armers andranchers; and others to tacke the issue o open space oss as across-boundary issue.

P R I v A T E l A N DC H A N G E SA F F E C TP U B l I C l A N D S

Increasingy,nationa orests and otherpubic ands are becomingisands o wid and semi-wid ands embedded in amatrix o deeoped ands.

Priate ands in rura areasare deeoping becausepeope are attracted to theamenities o pubic ands.Yet, many o these pubicand amenities are con-nected to open spaces onpriate ands. Water fows

across borders. Widie migrates. Fires that maintain heathyorests and grassands need room to burn without endangeringpeope and their homes. Consering open space is not a priate

and or a pubic and issue, but a common chaenge to be ad-dressed at oca, regiona, and nationa ees.

A private landowner in Colorado discusses growth issues with

representatives rom the USDA Forest Service, Colorado State Forest

Service, and other landowners.

Public land, like these mountains and orests in Washington, attract

growth to rural areas.

USDAFS

BradPruitt,WADepartmentofNaturalRes

ources

USDAFS


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T H E N A T I O N S F O R E S T S A N D

T H E R O l E O F T H E F O R E S T S E R -

v I C E

The Nations orests consist o 749 miion acres opubic and priate orests. The USDA Forest Serice manages147 miion o these acres, aong with 45 miion acres o rangeand grassand, as the nationa orests and grassands. Thereare 155 nationa orests and 20 nationa grassands, dispersedamong 43 States and Territories, with the argest concentra-tions in the West (USDA FS Sept. 2005).

The USDA Forest Serice aso partners with other Fed-era agencies, States, and Territories to proide assistance toandowners and communities to care or priate orests throughState and Priate Forestry programs.

The argest orestry research organization in the word ishoused within the USDA Forest Serice. Scientists carry outbasic and appied research to study bioogica, physica, and

socia sciences. Research proides inormation necessary to bestmanage and protect our Nations orests so they can continueproiding quaity water and air, widie habitat, orestproducts, and paces or recreation and renewa.

MAP 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N

County & Municipal10 million acres

State63 million acres

Other Federal98 million acres

Forest Service148 million acres

Private430 million acres

Public and Private Forest Ownershipin the United States

Who Owns the Nations Forests?

Source: Smith et al, 2004


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K E Y T E R M S A N D D E F I N I T I O N S

o sc. n. Natura areas such as orests and grassands, as

we as working arms, ranches, and timberands. Open space

aso incudes parks, stream and rier corridors, and other natu-ra areas within urban and suburban areas. Open space ands

may be protected or unprotected, pubic or priate. This report

ocuses on open space ands in rura areas.

o sc a. n. Enironmenta, socia, and eco-

nomic benets proided by open space. Amenities incude

scenic beauty; paces to recreate; cean water; widie to iew,

hunt and sh; and and-based ieihoods ike arming, ranch-

ing, and orestry. These amenities are attracting new residents

to many rura areas throughout the United States. Faoritedestinations incude paces with orests, akes, riers, coasts,

mountains, and pubic and.

r. adj. Areas outside o cities and suburbs with ow popu-

ation densities. Oten a rura area incudes towns surrounded

by arms, orests, or ranches. Rura areas occur at the outskirts

o cities as we as in remote, nonmetropoitan ocations. The

majority o and in rura areas remains as open space with ew

houses and other buidings.

ub. adj. Cities and suburbs with moderate to high popu-

ation densities, and with the majority o and deeoped as

residences, stores, oces, and roads.

r gw. n. The trend o buiding new homes and com-

mercia structures at ow densities in rura areas. This type

o growth diers rom urban spraw in that houses are buit

on arger ots (1.7 to 40 acres) than in suburban areas. Some

reer to this trend as rura spraw or exurban growth. Ruragrowth can occur without a corresponding increase in popu-

ation when the growth is predominatey rom acation and

second homes.

C. n. The preseration and management o open

space to maintain enironmenta, economic, and socia ben-

ets. Key conseration toos incude pubic purchase o and,conseration easements (see page 26), sustainabe management

practices (see page 28), and smart growth (see page 26). The

case studies incuded in this pubication proide exampes o

how these toos and others are being used to consere open

spaces throughout the United States.

Housing developments in urban and suburban areas utilize less land per

house than in rural areas.

The development trend in rural areas is to build houses on large lots.RegentsoftheUniversityofMinnesota.

Allrightsreserved.

USDANRCS.


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FAC

TSH

EET

Open space is vital to our health, our

economy, and our well-being. While we

commonly place a dollar gure on the worth ogoods rom arms, ranches, and timberlands,

only recently have we recognized that our

natural open space is yielding ecosystem

services worth trillions o dollars globally

(Costanza et al. 1997). Those ecosystem

services range rom puriying air and water to

pollinating crops, helping stabilize climate, and

cycling nutrients. To simpliy the list, consider

what people and wildlie alike need to survive:

water, ood, and shelter. Open spacenatural areas plus working landsis

providing these basic needs every day.

WATER

Clean Water

More than two-thirds o Americas water

originates in orests (USDA-FS, Jan 2000). For-

ests naturally lter and remove pollutants, and

lower the risk o sediment entering streams and

rivers rom landslides and erosion. This natural

lter can help reduce the cost o puriying water

to drinkable standards. When aced with a

choice between spending $8 billion on a water

treatment acility or New York City or $1 billion

to protect and restore the watershed that pro-

duces much o the citys drinking water, the city

chose to conserve the watershed orests (Dudley

and Stolton 2003).

Natural Flood Control

Rain alling in orests is slowed by leaves and

plants, and soaks into the soil, but rain pouring

on bare soil or pavement runs o the surace,

causing erosion and fash fooding. Natures

stormwater management systems are intact

orests. Natural food control also comes in the

orm o wetlands like marshes and swamps that

absorb storm deluges.

Reliable Water Supply

Our arms and ranches require a steady

source o water. Forests oten capture and store

water that lls our aquiers and reservoirs

important or irrigation and or drinking water.

In many parts o the western United States, late

summer water fows come rom gradually

melting snowpack in the orested watersheds

o high mountains. Trees also work like a giant

pump, returning water rom the ground to

the atmosphere.

USDA

NRCS

USFWS

Why is Open SpaceImportant?


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FOOD

Farms and Ranches Close to Home

When communities conserve ertile

agricultural lands, they are keeping sourceso ood and rural livelihoods nearby, rather

than relying on distant imports. Working and

open lands also generate more tax revenue than

they receive in public servicesas shown by

economic studies in 94 counties and townships.

In contrast, residential properties on average

generate less public revenue than they cost (AFT

2002).

Pollination

Worldwide, 100,000 species o pollinatorsbees, birds, butterfies, bats, and moreare

giving our wild plants and 70 percent o our

agricultural crop species the chance to

reproduce. In turn, these pollinators need a

wide variety o habitats to survive. One-third o

our ood comes rom plants that must have wild

pollinators (Daily et al. 1997).

Wild Harvest

Hunters and anglers seek out open space

to nd trout in streams, waterowl on lakes,upland birds on grasslands, and deer in orests.

Open space also yields wild berries, mushrooms,

and medicinal plants. An impressive 118 o the

top 150 prescription drugs in the United States

are based on natural sources, including 9 o the

top 10 drugs (Daily et al. 1997).

SHELTER

Wildlife Habitat

While people are drawn to live close to

open space, many species o wildlie require

the shelter o open space, especially when

conserved as contiguous blocks o habitat

rather than patches. Just as our homes are

more than roos over our heads, open space

needs to be o sucient quality to maintain

healthy animals, sh, and plant populations.

Timber

We build our houses rom natural

materialsespecially woodthat come rom

our working orests. When we conserve

orests, we retain a source o timber within

the United States. Private orests accounted

or 92 percent o all U.S. timber harvested in

2001 (Smith et al. 2004).

Scenery and Recreation

For many people, part o what makes a

home livable is proximity to nature, whether

a small park or a sweeping expanse o land

or hiking, biking, birdwatching, or other out-

door pursuits. Open space can be considered

a key part o human habitat as well as home

or wildlie.

Deborah

RichieOberbillig

USF

WS


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nite and base. By 2100, the popuation is predicted to doube

rom the year 2000reaching 571 miion. Key actors driing

popuation growth are onger ie expectancies, an aerage o

2.1 births per woman, and a constant net immigration rate o 1

miion per year (Corde and Oerdeest 2001).

Much o that growth wi take pace near metropoitan

areas, with the South (the sunbet) generay growing

astest. Cities ike Charotte, North Caroina, are rapidy

adding popuation and spreading out as new residents seek

aordabe homes with bigger ots. Charottes popuation grew

by 33 percent in the 1990s and its urban area by 44 percent

(Aig and Pantinga 2004).

The trend or rura growth is dispersed deeopment. This

pattern o growth resuts in higher enironmenta impacts per

house than urban or suburban deeopment, due to the arger

areas aected and incursion into areas ess atered by hu-

man presence (Radeo, Hammer, and Stewart 2005). Rura

deeopment on arge ots (1.7 to 40 acres) has been growing at

a rate o 10-15 percent per year, exceeding urban and suburban

expansion rates (Theobad 2003).

10

Were 75 miles rom Madison and 75 miles rom LaCrosse,

but in the last ew years there have been many new homes

going in within a ew miles where I live. All o a sudden they just

blossomed, some on wooded, some on open land.

WISCONSIN (GOBSTER AND RICKENBACH 2004)

d e v e l o p m e n t r a t e s e X C e e d

p o p u l a t i o n r a t e s

As the U.S. popuation grows, our deeopment

generay spreads at higher rates (See Chart 1). As a resut, our

cities are expanding and so are many o our rura communities.

In the post Word War II era, rura areas were iewed as paces

osing popuation to cities. Howeer, rura areas with natura

amenities are now deeoping quicky, with acceerated growth

predicted. In addition, rura residences occupy more than

seen times more and area than urban residences nationwide,

as iustrated in Chart 2 (Theobad 2005).

Approximatey 297 miion peope ie in the United

States (US Census Bureau No 2005). By 2050, the United

States is projected to gain 120 miion more peope sharing a

R A T E S & T R E N D S

r a t e s & t r e n d s

a C h a n g i n g r u r a l a m e r i C a

CHART 2

Rural Residences Occupy More Landthan Urban Residences

Source: Theobald 2005.

= 31 million acres

While 31 million acres were settledat urban and suburban densities(less than 1.7 acres per dwelling) as of2000, more than seven times

that much land227 million acreswas settled at rural densities(1.7 to 40 acres per dwelling).

URBAN

HIGH DENSITY

RURAL

LOW

DENSITY

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1982-1997 2000-2025(projected)

LandDev

elopmen

t

U.S.PopulationGrowth

16%

24%

34%

79%

Source: Alig et al. 2004. US Census Bureau 2000 and 2001.

Percent

Increase

Land Development isOutpacing Population Growth

CHART 1


15/5411

F o r e s t l a n d r a t e s o F C h a n g e

Two-thirds o the state is in orest cover. The trend is an increasing

amount o orest cover. But i we could see property lines out there,

wed see many more orest landowners owning smaller and smaller

parcels o orestland.

vIRGINIA (USDA-FS 2002)

Forest ands o the United States are changing as more

peope seek homes in the woods. When measuring and pro-

jecting orest and rates o change, researchers eauate three

trends: conersion, ragmentation, and parceization.

First, c reers to the repacement o trees with

houses, buidings, awns, and paement. Forest Serice

researchers estimate that by 2030, we wi conert 26 miion

acres o orest and (Aig and Pantinga 2004). This gure is

based on examining the oss o orest coer. Regions that hae

seen net osses o orest coer incude the South and Pacic

Coast (Aig et a. 2003).

Not a regions are osing orests. Oer the past 50 years,

both Northeast and the Rocky Mountain States hae seen net

increases in orest coer. The primary drier o orest gains has

been the regrowth o trees on agricutura ands. Many arms an

ranches are no onger competitie in the marketpace as techno-

ogica changes hae enabed ood to be produced on ewer acre

Other actors incude a century o re suppression eading to

Between 1982 and 1997, 10 million acres

of forests were developed (USDA NRCS

2003). Forest Service researchers esti-

mate that between 1997 and 2030,

we stand to lose an additional

26 million acres of forestland

(Alig and Plantinga 2004).

The total loss of forests

from 1982 and pro-

jected to 2030 would

be close to the size of

the state of Georgia.

1982199710 million acres

1997203026 million acres

State of Georgia

38 million acres

CHART 3

U.S. Forest Land Change from 1982 to 1997(with projections to 2030)

RegentsoftheUniversityofMinne

sota.

Allrightsreserved.

Usedwithpermission.

Roads and other inrastructure that service homes on large lots divide orests into ragments.

more orest growth and tree pant-

ing. Despite net gains, signicant

osses o orests to deeopment are

sti occurring in these regionsas

orests are gained in one ocation,

other orests are ost to deeop-

ment somewhere ese (Aig et a.

2003; Aig and Pantinga 2004).

The second trend, f-, reers to the disturbance

zone beyond the ootprint o the

deeopment. Roads and power

ines that serice new homes diide

orests into ragments. This owers


16/5412


Watersheds in Which Housing Density is Projectedto Increase on Private Forests by 2030

Hih ha

Mium ha

Lw ha

Publi rsUrba aras

Sur: Stein et al. 200

MAP 2

the quaity o widie habitat proided by the orest, especiay

or those species that are sensitie to human disturbance.

Fragmentation aso encourages the spread o inasie species as

roads and utiity cooridors proide ectors or new inasions.

One indicator o the degree o ragmentation across a

andscape is housing density. This gies us a more detaied

ook at what is happening to our orests. Whie orests may

appear unbroken rom an aeria iew, beneath the canopy there

may be a surprising number o homes. Studies in the southern

Appaachian orests demonstrate that measuring and coer

changes aone cannot account or the impacts on biodiersity

and ecosystems when houses are buit within orests

(Turner et a. 2003).

According to recent ndings rom the Forests on the Edge

project o the Forest Serice, more than 44 miion acres o

priate orest ands coud experience sizeabe increases in

housing density by 2030. The South, Northeast, and parts o

Caiornia and the Pacic Northwest are projected to hae the

most extensie housing increases. The greatest impacts wi be

et in the Southeast, a region o high biodiersity and timber

productiity (Stein et a. 2005) (See Map 2).

The third measure o orest change is cz. In

genera, as orest properties become smaer in size, the

potentia grows or those ands to be deeoped or housing.

From 1993 to 2003, the number o amiy orest owners swee

rom 9.3 miion to 10.3 miion, controing 42 percent o the

U.S. orest ands (Buter and leatherberry 2004).

Smaer properties tend to be aso more dicut to manag

or orest and aues ike timber, water, and widie. Nine o 1

amiy orest owners hae ewer than 50 acres, oer ha o whic

own 1-9 acres (usuay as a houseot) (Buter and leatherberry

2004). Preiminary data rom the Nationa Woodand Surey

indicates that the acreage o priate orests hed in sma parce

has increased by amost 8 miion acres since 1993, but sti on

accounts or approximatey 20 percent o priate orest and

(Nationa Woodand Surey 2004).


17/5413

Forests owned as small parcels are more likely to be developed or housingNRCS

t r a C K i n g t h e

r u r a l r e n a i s s a n C e

Rura iing dened America in the ate 1700s when ony

5 percent o peope ied in cities, but by the 1820s the pace

o city growth began to pick up markedy. The 20th century

ushered in the Industria Age and a steady exodus o rura resi-

dents to cities. By the 1920s, ha the popuation ied in cities

and suburbs. Today that number has sweed to 80 percent.

Post-Word War II America experienced a sharp rise inpopuation, and deeopment, persona incomes, and

suburbanization. During this era, popuation grew by more

than ha whie the amount o deeoped and doubed.

Aerage amiy income increased by 150 percentgiing

more peope the abiity to own arger houses and yards at the

urban ringe.

Meanwhie, the rura decine continued. Whie arming

and other and-based actiities sti prospered, the adent o

big machines and corporate ownership drasticay reduced thenumber o workers.

Then something remarkabe happened in the 1970sa

turnaround or parts o rura America. Suddeny, peope were

feeing the cities and seeking a pastora settingresuting in a

14-percent jump in popuation in sparsey popuated areas. The

arm crisis o the 1980s sowed and, in some cases, hated the

rura renaissancetemporariy. In the 1990s, rura counties

grew by 3 miion peope and beneted rom a aster rate o job

growth than metropoitan areas (Johnson and Beae 1998).Note that the return to rura iing does not equate with

a return to and-based actiities ike arming. Economic and

technoogica changes are aowing peope a greater mobiity o

workpace (as expored in Driers o Change Section).

The reia o rura iing is not happening eerywhere.

Peope continue to eae the Great Pains, Western Corn Bet,

and Mississippi Detapaces cosey inked to agricuture.

The Mountain West, Upper Great lakes, Ozarks, and parts o

the South and Northeast show the greatest popuation gains

(Johnson and Beae 1998).

A study o western States ound that rura counties with

the strongest economic growth and higher wage serice jobs

share an important trait. Those counties are cose to protected

pubic ands, such as widerness areas and nationa parks, and

hae air or road access to metropoitan areas (Rasker et a.

2004).

Forest Serice research on open space amenity migration

shows that counties with nationa orests are seeing higher

popuation growth rates than counties without these pubic

ands. long-term trends in the U.S. economy indicate that the

migration to amenity-rich ocations is ikey to increase or the

oreseeabe uture (Garber-Yonts 2004. Johnson and Stewart,

in press).

r e g i o n a l s n a p s h o t s

Research can hep predict not just the rates o rura

growth, but specic areas that hae the right combination o

eatures or growth in the uture. As the oowing regiona

snapshots show, actors such as topography (how much dee-

opabe and is aaiabe), and ownership, existing transporta-

tion networks, and and use panning infuence rates and trends.


18/5414

C

A

SE

STU

DY

Greater Wasatch Area, UtahEnvision the Future to

Guide Growth

When planners in Utah orecasted 3

million more residents living in the Salt Lake

City area and close to the Uinta and Wasatch-

Cache National Forests by 2050, citizens and

public ocials took notice. Envision Utah, a

public/private partnership that began in 1997,

developed a strategy or growth that involves

as many o todays 1.6 million residents as

possible. The new inhabitants o 2050 will

mostly be their children and grandchildren.

Without changing patterns o growth,

urbanized lands are predicted to quadruple

by 2050. However, that picture could be ar

dierent under scenarios created by local

residents, mayors, city council representatives,

and other stakeholders. Dozens o

community design workshops organized by

Envision Utah

in 1998 gave participants the chance to take

a look at where to place more people on the

land within constraints o land and water.

Four growth scenarios or this Greater

Wasatch Region (covering 23,000 square miles

o central Utah) emerged rom the workshops.

Envision Utah shared these our scenarios in 50town meetings. Every household in the region

received a newspaper insert with illustrations

analyzing each scenario.

Over 19,000 citizens responded and the

vast majority supported a growth strategy that

promotes preservation o critical lands,

supports a variety o transportation choices,

and develops more walkable communities.

Families would still enjoy single-amily homes,

but on slightly smaller lots situated in villages

and towns. New development would be placedin existing urban areas or clustered along

transit routes, leaving more land or open

space and

agriculture.

Aiialirmai:www.envisionutah.org

Sur:Envision Utah 2004.

CoalitionforUtahsFuture

Coa

litio

n

for

Ut

ah

sF

ut

ure


19/5415

I n d e x o f o P e n S P A c e c H A n g e I n

t H e U n I t e d S t A t e S

Percent o land considered rural: 83

Percent o population that is rural: 20

Amount o land settled at urban high densities as o2000, in acres: 31 million

Amount o land settled at rural low densities as o 2000,in acres: 227 million

Open space loss to development between 1992 to 1997,in square miles: 24,000

Size o West Virginia in square miles: 24,000

Open space projected to be developed by 2020, in squaremiles: 100,000

Size o Caliornia in square miles: 100,000

Rate o open space loss per day, in acres: 6,000

Rate o open space loss per minute, in acres: 4

Percentage o orest lands that are privately owned inU.S.: 57

Number o private orestland owners: ~10 million

Amount o private orestland lost to development rom1982-1997, in acres: 10 million

Net amount o orest projected to be developed rom1997 to 2030, in acres: 26 million

Surs: crll a ovrvs 2001, thbal 2005,

USdA nRcS 2003, Ali a Plaia 2004.

0

1

MillionsofAcres

2

3

4

5

7

6

Change in Developed Areain U.S. by Region, 1982-1997

th Suhas expri h Hihs grwh

Surs: Ali al. 2004. USdA nRcS 2001.

CHART 4

o which 132 are o concern and 28 are criticay imperied.

The primary threat is habitat oss rom conerting or modiy-

ing ands (Wear and Greis 2002). The region aso produces the

most timber in the country and has 89 percent o its orests in

priate ownership.

A comprehensie assessment o southern orests concud-

ed that urbanization wi hae the most direct, immediate and

permanent eects on southern orestso a orces o change

(Wear and Greis, Oct 2002).

Southeastern orests are home to many endangered species like this Red

Hills Salamander in Alabama.

USFWS

s o u t h e a s t

A warm cimate and attractie natura eatures combine

to make this the astest growing region with the highest ees

o spraw outside cities. Some o the most desirabe oca-

tions coasta areas and southern Appaachiansare aso

the most ragie ecoogicay. The Southeast boasts high pant

and widie diersitya staggering 1,208 ertebrate species,


20/5416

R A T E S & T R E N D S MAP 3

The Midwest is Experiencing Rapid Landscape Changes

Surs:R.B. Hammer and V.C. Radelo

University o Wisconsin-Madison (mapGobster and Haight 2004 (statistics)

Husi Uispr Km2

0

0-2

war

2-4

4-8

Sa buaris

8-16

16-128

>128

1940 2000

Iras i husi uisbw 1940 a 2000 i hMiws, pr: 146

grwh mium siyhusi (4-32 huss pr squarkm) bw 1940 a 2000 ih Miws, pr: > 250

Housing development next to armland in Dane County, Wisconsin.NRCS

n o r t h C e n t r a lThis and o many akes and priate

orests that stretch across gente terrain

is undergoing rapid andscape changes

(See Map 3). More and more second

homes are sprouting around akes, ri-

ers, and in orests with good road access

to major cities. Two-thirds o orests

contain at east 10 housing units per

square mie. Forests traditionay man-aged or timber are being subdiided. As

arge expanses o northern orests start

to ragment, there is concern among

bioogists whether those orests wi

continue to sere as homes or widie

that hae ost habitat esewhere (Gob-

ster and Haight 2004).


21/5417

Howeer, a 2004 oter-approed initiatie now requires

the State goernment to compensate andowners or property

aue osses rom and-use decisions such as zoning. WhetherOregons and use panning can be enorced ater this measure

is questionabe. Research predictions suggest that a apse in

zoning enorcement woud resut in greater deeopment in

western Oregons orests and agricutura ands (Kine, June

2005). Today, panners, poicymakers, and researchers in Or-

egon are taking a new ook at whether zoning aone can be e-

ectie in the ong run as popuations and and aues increase.

USDANRCS

Rural growth in the Rocky Mountain West is occuring in both orests

and grasslands.

USDAFS

r o C K Y m o u n t a i n W e s t

In contrast to the Southeast and Northeast, there is a high

ee o pubic and ownership in western mountainous States.

Much o the pubic and as in higher eeation ands,

incuding the dramatic Rockiesaored destinations or

recreationists. Many kinds o widierom ek to warbers

require both pubic ands o the mountains and ower eea-

tion priate ands or suria. Oten, aeys and riers in

priate ownership hae the highest ecoogica aues. Much othe region is arid, where widres pay a natura roe but aso

endanger the increasing number o houses and communities in

the widand-urban interace (Romme 1997). Fourteen o the

astest growing counties in the United States are in the Rocky

Mountain West and rura popuation growth rates are exceed-

ing urban rates (Corde and Oerdeest 2001).

p a C i F i C n o r t h W e s t o r e g o n

Oregon is known or its rugged coastines, ush orests,

Cascade Mountains, and high

desert. It is aso known or a

pioneering comprehensie

statewide and use-panning

program enacted in 1973. To

achiee its goas, Oregons cit-

ies and counties are required to

concentrate new deeopment

inside urban growth boundar-

ies and to protect arm andorest uses through zoning out-

side the boundaries. Research

suggests the program has been

measuraby successu at

shaping deeopment in ways

that consere prime armands,

orests, and other open spaces

(Kine 2005). Oregon has instituted urban growth boundaries to protect arms and orests.


22/5418


REGIONAl OPEN SPACE KEY QUESTIONS

Can the South produce high ees o timber, protect and

manage or biodiersity, meet the demand or outdoor recre-

ation, and house miions more peope in rura areas?

Can the Great lake States consere northern orests and

akes that are stronghods or birds and animas that haeost habitat to the south?

What are strategies to steer growth away rom

re-prone orests in the Rocky Mountain West?

Can Oregon sti consere orest and armands now that the

2004 oter-approed initiatie mandates aected andown-

ers to be compensated or reductions in and aues?

How wi Southern Caiornia accommodate increasing

ees o recreation use on pubic ands?

One million acres o Central Valley armland are predicted to be lost by

2040. (USDA FS 2003)

USDANRCS

s o u t h e r n C a l i F o r n i a

Four nationa orests are within easy driing distance olos Angees and other highy urbanized areas. The warm dry

cimate and Pacic coast hae drawn peope here or many

years, making southern Caiornia the most popuous region

in the United States. Now the popuation is expanding rom

the coast counties into the Centra vaey and Inand Empire,

where popuation is orecast to increase rom 5.4 miion in

1998 to 15.6 miion by 2040. Demographics are shiting too,

with an increase in Hispanic and Asian popuations (USDA

FS 2003).New homes are peppering canyons and hisides that are

at high risk or widres. Productie arms are giing way to

housing deeopments; the predicted oss o armand in the

Centra vaey is 1 miion acres by 2040. The chaenges or

the region incude managing increased and changing recreation

use o pubic ands, consering widie habitats and working

arms, and contending with more houses in the widand-

urban interace (USDA FS 2003).


23/5419

To better grasp why rura areas with open space amenities

hae become a target or growth, socia scientists are studying

the driers behind rura growth. They hae documented how

we hae become a nation o nomadic peope moing rom

pace to pace or jobs or to nd a desirabe ocation to put

down roots.

Retirees and working-age peope aike are reocating torura areas where they can hae daiy access to the outdoors or

recreation and or soitude. This greater mobiity o where we

ie comes rom rising incomes since Word War II and

transportation adances ike the interstate highway system that

put the countryside within commuting range o cities.

This pubication does not ocus on suburban areas

expanding rom cities. Howeer, there are rura areas just be-

yond the suburbs that are growing rapidy. Peope are wiing to

commute arther to work to experience a rura iestye and ndaordabe housing. Now, 3.4 miion Americans endure a daiy

extreme commute o 90 minutes or more each way to work

(U.S. Census 2005).

Meanwhie, a surey conducted or the Nationa

Association o Reators and Smart Growth America ound that

79 percent o recent homebuyers ranked a commute time o

45 minutes or ess as a top priority in their choice o where to

ie. Another high priority (72 percent) is the abiity to wak to

shops, restaurants, ibraries, schoos, and pubic transportation.For peope panning to buy a home, 87 percent paced top prior-

ity on a shorter commute. The surey shows a cear demand

or iabe communities with wakabe neighborhoods cose to

serices rather than the traditiona kind o arge ot suburban

setting (Nationa Association o Reators and Smart Growth

America 2004). This suggests that one strategy to keep rura

areas rura is to buid communities that eature compact, mixed

use, and wakabe neighborhoods.

D R I V E R S O F C H A N G E

d r i v e r s o F C h a n g e

m i g r a t i o n t o r u r a l a m e r i C a

CATSKILL MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLSNEW YORK

TYPE: LAKEFRONT LAND

PRICE: $172,500

FRONTS A 46-ACRE MOUNTAIN LAKE

Exceptionally rare 25-acre lake ront property with

1,400 eet o lake rontage on a 46-acre mountain

lake. Located on a quiet Town Road next to a

1,000-acre private reserve. Pretty meadow, hardwoods,

and a view. Walking trail along the lake. I its the lie-style or simply an investment, look no urther.

FULLERTON GULCHMONTANA

TYPE: RANCH

PRICE: $250,000

ADJACENT TO THE NATIONAL FOREST

67 acres with year-round creek, national orest land

on three sides. Great building site that is very remote

yet only minutes to town by paved road. This is a must-

see i youre looking or a real Montana home setting.

Rural Montana is growing aster than the States cities and towns

(Theobald 2003).

USDANRCS


24/5420

W h o s m o v i n g t o r u r a l

a r e a s a n d W h Y ?

Retirees and the Baby Boom Generation

Throughout the United States, peope are moing to rura

areas to enjoy open space amenities, such as akes, scenic iews,

and orests. Retirees are a eading orce behind this migration

trend. Portabe pensions and dispersed amiies enabe retirees

to choose amenity-rich ocations. Between 1990 and 2000,

counties with nationa orests, recreation opportunities, naturaresources, and aesthetic quaities (see Map 4) experienced high

popuation growth ratesbetween 15 and 30 percent. These

growth rates are expected to acceerate as 70 miion baby

boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) reach retirement age

(Johnson and Stewart, in press).


National Forest and High-Amenity Counties

n Aln wih Hih AmiyHih Amiy Aln

Aalysis: K.H. Jhs, Lyla Uivrsiy chiadaa: USdA rs Srvi; USdA emi

Rsarh Srvi. Jhs a Bal (2002)

MAP 4

naial rs ahih-amiy uiar xprii raprwh. Hih amis ilu auralamiis suh as ashis, rraialppruiis, arirm appal.

USFWS


25/54


26/5422

Search or Nature

America is known as

a meting pot, and a

restess one. Research

shows Americans hae a

strong need or contact

with nature that in turn

eads to deeopment o

natura habitats, oss oopen space aues, and an

exodus to the next ast best pace (Kapan and Austin 2004).

In the West, migrants into Coorado are moing to Montana

and other States to nd the next unspoied rura and aord-

abe haen (Robb and Reibsame 1997). And as urban areas

expand into rura ands, peope moe arther rom the city to

nd a country experience.

Appeal o Large Lots

The rura dream o owning a piece o paradise heps sup-

port a market or arge ots. Reators and deeopers market

and respond to this demand. In act, 80 percent o and con-

erted or recent residentia housing ies outside urban areas

and 94 percent o the acreage is diided into ots o 1 acre or

arger. More than ha o those ots are sized at 10 acres or

more (ERS 2005).

Zoning, too, can ead to arger ots. When rura

communities zone or minimum ot sizes, they discourage

deeopment o custered, denser communities with arge ad-jacent open spaces. In Coorado, andowners hae an incen-

tie to subdiide into 35-acre parces, the minimum size or

diiding ands without going to a zoning board or approa.


Housing Aordability

When rura areas rst grow, the appeaing arge home site

tend to be aordabe. Some o the attraction or new migrants

ies in the combination o cheaper and than they can nd

within commuting distance o a city, combined with proximityto widie and soitude.

Housing aordabiity becomes a strong drier in areas ike

los Angees where housing prices hae cimbed steepy. Many

urban workers commute 60 mies or more rom inand

communities ike Rierside (US Census 2005). As more jobs

moe out to suburbs, rura areas are aso increasingy within

commuting distance.

Howeer, rura growth eentuay dries up and prices

and taxes. The rea estate market or country iing proides

andowners with an incentie to subdiide and se. The

returns are oten ar greater than traditiona orestry and

agricutura incomes. In the Southeast, the weighted aerage

aue o and in orest use or 473 counties is $415 per acre

compared to an urban use aue o $36,216 per acre 90 times

higher (Aig and Pantinga 2004).

A study o 500 property owners close to 12 lakes in Walworth County,

Wisconsin, revealed that 62 percent were second-home owners, with

primary residences in Chicago, a 2-hour drive away. Almost 40 percent

intend to become permanent residents. (Gobster and Haight 2004)

RegentsoftheUniversityofMinnesota.

Allrightsres

erved.

Usedwithpermission.


27/5423

Collier County, FloridaConcentrating New Development

Away from EnvironmentallyValuable Land

Retirees and immigrants are focking to

sunny, coastal Collier County in southwest

Florida. In 2000, a group o landowners

created incentives and a new marketplace to

conserve ecologically rich rural lands while

welcoming more people on the land.

The Collier landowners hired a consulting

rm, WilsonMiller, Inc., to assess their natural

resources and develop a new model or land

use planning. Using a geospatial analysis,

WilsonMiller quantied and assigned values

to environmentally sensitive eatures, such as

wetlands and panther habitats, or a 195,000-

acre area. This analysis is used to add value

to traditional market prices or land.

Here is how it works. A Rural Land

Stewardship plan identies sending and

receiving areas. The sending areas cover land

with sensitive or rare natural resources like

native pine orests. Landowners within the

sending area can choose to sell Stewardship

Credits to developers. The number o credits

available or sale depends on the specic

natural characteristics o the property.

In addition, a landowner can gain bonus

credits or choosing to restore some acres

or place them under permanent conservation

agreements.

The Ave Maria development project

recently tested the new market. A new

town and university are being built on

5,000 acres within the designated

receiving area. The developer purchased

approximately 8 credits per developed acre

to protect 17,000 acres o open natural

land surrounding the community. The

new town is being built as a compact,

mixed-use community that concentrates

growth in walkable neighborhoods close

to stores and oces.

C

A

S

ESTU

D

Y

The Collier Rural Lands Stewardship Area will

accommodate the projected 2025 population in

new rural towns and villages. These towns will oc-

cupy only one-tenth o the land ormerly needed

or 5-acre home sites. This win-win solution will

protect 90 percent o all native wetlands and

upland orests at no cost to the public, and willprovide an income stream to all landowners in the

area. Now, landowners have an incentive and eco-

nomic return or the protection o environmentally

sensitive lands.

In recognition o the potential and unique-

ness o this approach, the State o Florida in 2004

codied the use o Stewardship Credits in State

law, and encouraged other counties to use Collier

County as a model or rural lands planning.

Swarship cris: a tradable value or land that

accounts or variation in environmental characteristics andland uses. Stewardship credits are used in designated areasto guide development away rom environmentally valuableland and to encourage compact growth that preserves openspace.

Rural La Swarship Pla: a land use plan that desig-nates sending and receiving areas. Landowners in sendingareas can choose to sell stewardship credits to cash in thevalue o their open space. Developers must purchase stew-ardship credits to gain approval or new development proj-ects, and have a monetary incentive to concentrate growth incompact developments. All new development occurs in thereceiving areas.

Aiial irmai: Rural Lands Stewardship

Program http://privatelands.org/rural/RLSP.htmor www.WilsonMiller.com

Surs: Demers 2003. Jenkins 2005.

Wils

on

Mill

er,

Inc.


28/5424

S I G N I F I C A N C E

O F O p E N S pA C E

The question is not whether we should develop, but rather how

best to use the land to maintain or enhance the goods and services

provided by ecosystems.

WAYNE ZIPPERER, FOREST SERvICE RESEARCH FORESTER

(USDA FS 2002)

In the 2004 all election, voters in 26 States approved $3.25

billion in public unds or parks and open space. The approval rate

o open space bond initiatives was 75 percent.

(TPl 2005)

When open space is unctioning we, the seamess

natura abric o the and is oten unappreciated. Open space

pays signicant roes in our eery day ie. Forests reguate

cimate, cean water and air, maintain hydroogic cyces, and

contribute to heathy, ertie sois. Periodic burns in

re-adapted orests and grassands proide a serice in

rejuenating sois, pants, sheries, and in reducing ues. The

trick is to gie these natura processes room to perorm theirjobs. Open space can be working and as we,

important or haresting timber, ranching, and arming.

When open space rays and the seams unrae, the

osses become cear, one strand at a time. Water quaity

drops. Nonnatie and inasie species increase. Widie dier-

sity decines. Sometimes it takes a discerning eye to recognize

those raying pieces.

Take this story o two eds in Missouri, subjects o a

Forest Serice research study (Thompson and Burhans 2003).

At rst gance, the eds appear remarkaby simiar, except that

one is ound in an urbanized settingthe city o Coumbia,

Missouri, and the other in nearby rura Boone County. Now,

ask a birdwatcher to te you the dierence between the two.

The rura ed eatures much higher bird diersity and

uncommon species ike the bue-winged warber and white-

eyed ireo. Fewer bird species iing in the urban ed is

directy reated to brown-headed cowbirds that thrie in nearby

awns and disturbed areas. Cowbirds ay their eggs in songbird

nests. The songbirds then raise cowbird chicks at the expense

o their own. The researchers compared a number o rura

and urban eds and concuded that the nests o northern car-

dinas, yeow-breasted chats, and indigo buntings were parasit

ized by cowbirds 3 to 12 times more requenty in urban eds.

Keeping open space intact is important not ony to birds

and birdwatchers, but to a o us, whether we ie in urban or

rura ands. Open space proides critica serices and benets

that we a need and enjoy.

s i g n i F i C a n C e o F o p e n s p a C e

Brown-headed

cowbirds lay their

eggs in songbird

nests.

USFWS

USFWS

Indigo bunting

nests are parasit-

ized by cowbirds

312 times more

requently in urban

elds (Thompson

and burhans 2003).


29/5425

W H A T S A T S T A K E ?

1 . F r e s h W a t e r d e l i v e r Y a n d

F l o o d C o n t r o l

Forests sere a ita unction connected to cean water.

Some 66 percent o the Nations resh water originates in

orests (USDA FS 2000). Here, trees hep ter stormwater

and coney it to groundwater aquiers. In western moun-tains, orested headwaters hod snow that in turn becomes a

critica source o ate season fows or ranchers irrigating hay

meadows in aeys beow. Trees aso sow storm runo and

reduce fooding.

Whats at stake or water quality

When orests gie way to residentia and commercia

deeopment, we ose the serices they proide. For ex-

ampe, the oss o trees between 1972 and 1996 in the Puget

Sound watershed (near Seatte, Washington) has increased

stormwater fow by 1.2 biion cubic eet in the region during

peak storm eents. Repacing the ost stormwater retention

capacity with reseroirs and engineered systems woud cost

$2.4 biion (American Forests 1998).Open ands, whether orested or grassand, assure rains and

snows are absorbed into the ground. Water cannot percoate

through paement. When water runs o roads into streams,

cean water suers as sediments and poutants are swept into

streams, riers, and akes. In Anchorage, Aaska, researchers

ound that the abundance and diersity o aquatic insects su-

ered when parking ots and other paement conerted just 5

percent o the watershed (Ourso and Frenze 2003).

Forests are a key source

o clean water.

USFWS

USFWS

USDANRCS

A restored wetland in Yolo County, CA, lters sediments and pollutants.


30/5426

Chesapeake Bay WatershedProtecting Forests to

Restore Water Quality

The Chesapeake Bay is the Nations

largest estuary and one o the most

productive ecosystems in the world. The bay

supports a wealth o wildlie, sh, and birds. Italso supports a thriving shing industry whose

harvests o sh and shellsh are

enjoyed by people throughout the country.

Keys to the bays health are in the trees and

orests in the watershed. Forests lter out pol-

lutants beore they enter streams, rivers, and

the bay. Once, over 95 percent o the 41-mil-

lion-acre watershed was orested, but that

number has dropped to 58 percent as develop-

ment and agriculture replaced trees. Current

orest loss in the watershed is estimated to be100 acres per day.

Today, Forest Service and government

agencies rom Maryland, Virginia,

Pennsylvania, and the District o Columbia, as

well as nonprot groups, are working together

to conserve and restore watershed orests. In2000, the partners set a goal to permanently

protect 20 percent o the watershed (6.5 mil-

lion acres) by 2010, using donated and publicly

purchased conservation easements, tax

incentives, and parkland purchases to add

to already existing protected lands. They are

also working to conserve and restore orests

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along 70 percent o streams and shorelines in

the watershed.

The Washington, D.C., regions Smart

Growth Alliance has contributed as well, en-couraging developers in the watershed to build

in ways that minimize water pollution and

maintain tree cover. The Alliance, made up o

the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coalition or

Smarter Growth, Greater Washington Board o

Trade, Greater Washington Builders Alliance,

and the Urban Land Institute, hosts a jury

o environmentalists, developers, and planners

who certiy whether development projects

meet smart growth criteria, including

building in and around existing communities,reducing impervious suraces, managing

stormwater, and maintaining trees and wet-

lands. Developers pay to have their project

proposal evaluated. I the project meets

smart growth standards, jury members

advocate or the project at local hearings.

csrvai easm. A legal agreementbetween a landowner and an eligible organization(usually a land trust or government entity) that re-stricts uture development activities on the land toprotect its conservation value. Most conservationeasements are perpetual and apply to both currentand uture landowners.

Smar grwh. Smart growth describesdevelopment patterns that create attractive,distinctive, and walkable communities that givepeople o varying age, wealth, and physical abilitya range o sae, convenient choices in where they

live and how they get around. Growingsmart also ensures that we use our existing inrastructureeciently by ocusing most new growth near existingdevelopment, achieving more compact orms and pat-terns o growth, and preserving both the rural lands andhistoric buildings that shape our communities.

Aiial irmai:chsapak Bay Prram visit www.chesapeakebay.net or call1-800-YOUR-BAY.

Washi Smar grwh Alliawww.sgalliance.org.

Smar grwh nwrkvisit www.smartgrowth.org

Surs: USDA FS 2004. Washington Smart GrowthAlliance 2005. Claggett 2005. Epstein 2005.

MikeLand,ChesapeakeBay

Gateways


31/5427

2 . R U R A l W A Y S O F l I F E

Keeping open space intact is an important actor in

maintaining traditiona rura ieihoods. The andscape

chaenge is to consere the most appropriate paces or

pursuits ike arming, ranching, and ogging and to integrate

new economies with the od.

Whats at stake or timber harvest

What happens when more houses are buit in timber

haresting areas? Researchers ound that in some regions, as

housing density increases, timber harest decreases (Wear et

a. 1999; Sabor et a. 2003). A study in virginia concuded that

when popuation densities reach between 20-70 peope per

square mie, the ikeihood that remaining orestands can be

commerciay managed decines. At 70 peope per square mie,

commercia orestry is ony ikey on 25 percent o remaining

orest and (Wear et a. 1999). In the Great lake States, ess

than 10 percent o haresting takes pace in areas where

housing density exceeds 50 units per square mie. (Sabor et a.

2003).

The reationship between housing density and orest

harest ees inoes many dierent actors, incuding such

practica dicuties as gaining access to ands surrounded

by houses. New owners whose scenic iews are aected by

management may aso be opposed to extensie management

actiity and haresting. The continued growth o housing in

the orested areas o this region suggests growing impacts on

timber harests.In Oregon, ndings show ess connection between rura

deeopment and decreased timber harest, because o a

greater amount o timberand aaiabe reatie to the amount

o deeopment that has occurred (Kine et a. 2004).

Whats at stake or arming and ranching

Rising property aues, tax burdens, and changing goba

markets or agricutura products pace economic pressure

on armers and ranchers to se their and, despite desires to

continue iing o the and and passing that heritage to their

chidren. Oten, ands that are most easiy paed oer or roads

and housing are the best ands or arming. Isoated arms

within subdiided ands sometimes ace resistance rom

new neighbors to traditiona practices ike ed burning.

Subdiided arms aso become too sma or iabe

arm operations.

In the West, a common pattern o deeopment is diid-

ing ranches into ranchettes that oten a aong the oothis

o re-prone pubic orest ands and mountains. Homes are

oten buit on high ground with panoramic iews, which eads

to greater ragmentation o open spaces to connect roads to

these premium buiding spots. The subdiision o ranches near

Gunnison, Coorado, increased road ength by 60 percent on

these properties and doubed the number o houses (Theobad

et a. 1996).


O F O P E N S PA C E

USDAFS

NRCS

Grazing near Tucson, Arizona


32/5428

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The Northern ForestMaintaining Working Landscapes

The Northern Forest spans 80 million acres

in northern New England and Canada and 26

million o these acres are in Maine, New Hamp-

shire, Vermont, and New York. Vast areas, espe-

cially in Maine, are uninhabited industrial orestswhose spruce and hardwood have long provided

wood or paper mills and sawmills.

In 1988, citizens in the our-State area

became alarmed ater British nancier Sir James

Goldsmith acquired Diamond International

Corporations 976,000 acres o timberland.

Goldsmiths business strategy was to resell this

land in smaller parcels or substantially more

value than the original sale. Concerned about

the uture o working orests, Congress commis-

sioned the Forest Service to develop a NorthernForest Lands Study to assess how land owner-

ship and use changes would aect the region

and timber towns.

In 1994, a multi-State Northern Forest Lands

Council used the Northern Forest Lands Study

to recommend increased public unding or the

Forest Services Forest Legacyprogram, which

conserves land primarily via conservation ease-

ments (see page 28), a orm o voluntary land

protection. Today, over 2.5 million acres are cov-

ered by conservation easements in the our-Stateregiono which 570,000 acres were protected

by the Forest Legacy program. Participating land-

owners either donated the easement or were

compensated or the development value o their

lands, and can continue to harvest timber.

In the backyard o Millinocket, Maine

a paper mill town that has long relied on the

orest or woods and mill jobsa landmark

partnership has helped conserve 750,000

acres o unbroken orests. In 2002, The Nature

Conservancy helped Great Northern Paper Co.

delay bankruptcy by purchasing $50 million o

its loans, retiring $14 million o the debt and

renancing the remainder at competitive rates.

In exchange, the company granted a

conservation easement on 195,000 acres

o Maine orests abutting Baxter State Park,

and transerred 41,000 acres in ee to the

Conservancy. With support rom the Forest

Legacy program and matching State unds, the

Conservancy is making a bargain sale o the

Katahdin Forest Project easement lands to the

State o Maine Bureau o Parks and Lands.

Now an expansive orest will continue to

stretch beneath Mount Katahdin. The core

land owned by the Conservancy serves as a

biological preserve and critical breeding

ground or birds and animals. Surrounding

the preserve, the easement land remains

permanently open or public recreation ac-

cess while sustainable management o the

orests provides timber or nearby mills.

rs Lay prram. Part o the State and PrivateForestry division o the Forest Service, the agencyadministers Forest Legacy in partnership with States andworks with interested private landowners to acquire landsand conservation easements. To date, the program hasprotected over 1 million acres o environmentally impor-tant oreststhis land has remained in private ownershipor has become State land.

Susaiabl Maam. Management to maintainthe long-term health o ecosystems and sustain a ullrange o environmental, economic, and social beneftsor current and uture generations. A sustainablymanaged orest provides not just timber and othereconomic products, but also public benefts like waterquality, recreation, and wildlie habitat.

Aiial irmai.

nrhr rs Las www.northernorestlands.org

th naur csrvay www.nature.org/success/katahdin.html

USdA S rs Lay Prram 202-205-1389www.s.ed.us/cooperativeorestry/programs/loa/fp.shtml

Surs: The Nature Conservancy 2004.Northern Forest Lands Council 1994.NESFA 2004. Byers and Ponte 2005. Dempsey 2005.

BillSillikerJr.


33/5429

3 . W I l D l I F E D I v E R S I T Y

A N D C O R R I D O R S

Species diersity is highest where open space is unc-

tioning we. For exampe, many species o songbirds require

contiguous bocks o habitat to successuy breed and raise their

young. Identiying the hot spots or birds and other widie

aows oca goernments to steer deeopment away rom these

important habitats. Bioogists at the panning tabe can answer

questions on where widie nest, den, raise young, or rest duringmigration.

Despite an abundance o pubic ands in many western

States, many widie hot spots are ound on priate ands.

These incude winter ranges or ek and deer, and streamside

areas or a high diersity o birds. In Montana, 55 percent o

breeding bird species (134 species) depend on riparian areas that

make up ony 4 percent o the State

70 percent are ound on priate ands

(Montana Partners in Fight 2000).In Coorado, 69 percent o bad eage

winter habitat is ound on priate ands

(Romme 1997).

The Southeast has 14 criticay

endangered orest communities, re-

duced in size by 98 percent since

European settement. Those

communities a within seen casses,

yet ony twood growth and spruce-rare ound on the sma amount

(11 percent) o pubic and in this

region. The remainder and their associated widie species

are in priate ownership. Pubic orests can sere to protect ony

some habitats and species. large bocks o orests are

important or consering sensitie pant and widie

species, yet ony 16 percent o the remaining orests are in tracts

greater than 500 acres (USDA FS 2002).

In addition to arge bocks, many widie speciesrom

rier otters to grizzy bearsrequire natura corridors that

connect the chunks o remaining open ands. Corridors aow

widie popuations to mix, keeping the gene poo heathy, andink widie eeding paces and migration routes.

Peope, too, can benet rom corridors, especiay near

urban areas where greenways are growing in popuarity among

recreationists seeking ong trais and connected bike paths. To

meet the needs o peope and widie, those corridors need to

be wide enough or both. For exampe, Dunham lake in

Hartand Michigan eatures a greenway buer that ranges

between 100 and 400 eet that preseres the pristine waters

and waterow habitat whie oering the many adjacent homesa akeside trai (Arendt 1994). Guideines or width dier

depending on geography, habitat and speciesanother reason

to make sure bioogists are at the panning tabe.

Whats at stake or biodiversity

Panning or corridors and

open space with widie needs

in mind can hep maintain

diersity and preent species

decine.

Habitat oss is the num-

ber one threat to biodiersity

oss. The number two threat

is the rising tide o inasie pants and animasnonnaties

that spread and can wipe out natie species. Approximatey 46

percent o the pants and animas ederay isted as endangered

species hae been negatiey impacted by inasie species



USFWS

Wol tracks at Nogaba-

hara Sand Dunes, Alaska.

USDAFS

Bald Eagle

Red-cockaded Woodpecker


34/5430

(Wicoe et a. 1998). Many kinds o noxious weeds take

hod and prosper when and is disturbed, an ineitabe part oconstructing new houses and roads in rura ands. Controing

weeds on sma parces o and is more dicut than on arge

intact parces.

When houses and roads enter a orest, they proide

access or nest predators and parasites ike crows, jays, and

cowbirds. A team o scientists rom the Uniersity o Wiscon-

sin and the Forest Serice demonstrated that 37 o 137 bird

species decined with increases in housing and agricutura use

(lepczyk, in reiew). Housing and eds disrupt natie oresthabitats, putting at risk birds such as the red-eyed ireo and

oenbird that depend on interior orests.

Houses aso bring in ree-ranging domestic cats, which

prey on numerous songbirds and sma mammas in rura areas

each year. Studies in Wisconsin estimate that cats ki 39

miion birds in that State each year (Coeman et a. 1997).

Widie habitat and rura housing preerences oten

intersect in the most sensitie and ragie paces. For instance,

research in the Yeowstone area ound that home densities areneary 70 percent higher within a mie o these hot spots

(Hansen and Rotea 2002). Amost a o the identied hot

spots e on priate ands in an area where biodiersity is

highest at ower eeations, which are at the most risk

o deeopment.



Whats at stake or wildlie on the move

As wid animas moe to nd the habitats they need,

they oten ace a potentia threatroads. Highways and een

smaer roads can bock natura corridors or trae. Cars

coide with widiea danger to peope and animas aike.

Een sma dirt roads connecting homes on arge ots can

cause probems or widie. Many amphibians, sma mammas

and inertebrates shy away rom roads, and ose connectiity

to important habitats. Sow-moing repties ike turtes and

USDAARS

Invasive white knapweed prospers when land is disturbed.

snakes seeking the warmth o a road during the day are reguar

casuaties. Roads aso disturb ground and become a ector or

weeds to spread into open spaces (Mitche et a. 1997).

Today, the Federa Highway Administration has projects

in most States to ink habitats and cut down on highwaymortaityrom a saamander underpass in Massachusetts

to a desert tortoise cuert under a highway in southern

Caiornia. Underpasses on I-75 in Forida are saing

endangered panthers rom being struck and kied (Federa

Highway Administration 2005).

ScottJackson

Underpasses designed or wildlie can provide or sae passage and

link habitats.


35/5431

Greater Yellowstone RegionCoordinating Among Ownerships

To Conserve the Ecosystem

Americas rst national park rests in the

heart o a much larger ecosystem. Surrounding

Yellowstone National Park are six national or-

ests, two national wildlie reuges, the GrandTeton National Park, and the J.D. Rockeeller

Memorial Parkway. This ecosystem is the last

stronghold or a suite o species no longer

ound together anywhere in the world

grizzly bears, wolves, bison, wolverines, and

trumpeter swans.

The 20 counties within the ecosystem

are among the astest growing in the United

Statesa 62-percent population increase rom

1970 to 2000, with an accompanying 350-per-

cent rise in developed lands. The large amounto land aected by each new house reveals a

pattern o low-density growth as ranches and

arms are subdivided. Today, about 370,000

people live as permanent residents on these

private lands in Idaho, Montana, and Wyo-

ming.

Private lands all in oothills, valleys, and

along the Yellowstone, Madison, Clarks Fork,

and Snake Rivers. Most public lands are at

higher elevation. Wildlie moves between the

two, and much o their essential habitat is onprivate lands. To conserve the Yellowstone

ecosystem requires considerable coordination.

Fortunately, Federal agencies in the region

had the oresight in 1964 to create the

Greater Yellowstone Coordinating

Committee (GYCC). National orest supervi-

sors, park superintendents, and reuge manag-

ers communicate regularly to oster partner-

ships, and contribute resources to address

priorities most eectively addressed across all

land areas.Controlling the spread of invasive

weeds oers one example o the benets o

cooperation. When treating weeds, all it takes

is one untreated parcel o land to serve as a

seed source or re-inecting nearby lands.

The rising number o new landowners and

smaller parcels o lands could be a deadly com-

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binationallowing or the spread o invasive

weeds that can choke-out native plants and in

turn harm wildlie that depend on the native

plants or ood.

To tackle the problem, the GYCC leverages

unds to partners or monitoring, mapping, and

treating weed inestations in certain areas.

The committee also takes on projects that

benet the entire Greater Yellowstone Area,

such as producing homeowner guides to weed

control and establishing weed-ree certication

standards. By 2004, the GYCC completed a

weed database and map to identiy top-priority

inestations. That same year marked the estab-

lishment o Cooperative Weed Management

Areas covering 100 percent o the area. In ad-

dition, private citizens who want to contribute

to managing and preventing the spread o inva-

sive weeds can nd help rom the multi-partner

GYCC subcommittee, The Greater Yellowstone

Area Weed Working Group.

The result? While invasive weeds continue

to be a threat, the vigilant eorts o many indi-

viduals and groups are keeping the worst o the

weeds at bay. The success record with weeds

oers a model and inspiration or

guiding residential growth and protecting

valuable private lands rom ragmentationa

challenge also being addressed by partners

across the ecosystem.

Aiial irmai:grar Yllws criai cmmi:http://mpin.nbii.org/projects/gycc

Sra Isiu: www.sonoran.org

Surs: GYCC 2005. Maj 2005. Sonoran Institute 2005.

DeborahRichieOberbillig


36/5432

4 . W i l d l a n d F i r e

Widand res pay a natura roe in keeping orests

heathy, reducing ues, and adding nutrients to sois. How-

eer, a century o re suppression has ed to a buid-up o ues

in many orests, which can ead to seere widres that are

dicut to contro. Today, the Forest Serice and other and

management agencies baance re preention, suppression,

and prescribed re. Where open space is extensie and

connected, managers can successuy prescribe res with the

goa o restoring ecoogica processes and reducing ues. When

priate and pubic andowners coaborate, there is a better

chance o guiding deeopment away rom high-risk re areas,

and o protecting existing houses by reducing ues around

them.

Designated pubic open space can aso become a

showcase or communities to appreciate the ecoogica roe o

re. For exampe, in Bouder, Coorado, resource managers or

the Open Space and Mountain Parks combine prescribed res,

seectie thinning, and some grazing to repicate natura pro-

cesses and keep ands heathy. Education and pubic outreach

is an important component, incuding on-the-ground iustra-

tions o benets. The city can show citizens where a 130-acre

prescribed re in 1998 became the turning point in sowing

a widres adance in September 2000. When the fames

reached the preiousy burned area, the ack o ues sowed the

re ong enough or reghters to stop the re rom reaching

houses (Bouder County 2005).

Whats at Stake or the Wildland-Urban Interace

Weve got steep, dead-end roads that go up hillsides to homes. Fire-

fghters are at risk trying to reach these peoples homes.

GEORGIA (USDA FS 2002)

Today, more homes than eer are being buit in a rea-

tiey narrow part o the andscape, termed the widand-urban

interacethe area where houses meet or interminge with

undeeoped orests and grassands. More than one-third oa housing units (44.3 miion) a in this widand-urban

interace, which coers about one-tenth o the and area o the

conterminous United States (Radeo et a. 2005).

Houses that a in widre-prone parts o the widand-

urban interacesuch as the Caiornia chaparracan be

dicut and sometimes impossibe to deend rom raging res.

More peope iing in these areas aso correates with more

human-caused res. For exampe, during the record-setti

Documents

Cooperating Across Boundaries