Nature-Friendly Communities
Habitat Protection and Land Use Planning

By Christopher Duerksen and Cara Snyder

$29.95 paper | $49.95 cloth

>> Order a copy of Nature-Friendly Communities

With rampant development eating up more and more of America's natural habitat, a growing number of forward-looking communities have responded by curbing sprawl, protecting natural areas, and improving communities. These nature-friendly communities are employing creative and much-needed conservation measures that can actually promote economic growth.

In this landmark book, Christopher Duerksen and Cara Snyder detail the most successful nature protection programs in America. They also explain the many social and economic benefits of living in a nature friendly community. And they lay out compelling examples that other communities can easily follow. The book:

* documents the broad range of benefits, including economic impacts, resulting from comprehensive nature protection efforts
* analyzes best community practices
* establishes benchmarks for evaluating community biodiversity protection programs

Nine comprehensive case studies of communities explain how nature protection programs have been implemented. From Austin and Baltimore to Tucson and Minneapolis, the authors explore how different cities and counties have taken bold steps to successfully protect natural areas. Examining program structure and administration, land acquisition strategies and sources of funding, habitat restoration programs, social impacts, education efforts, and overall results, these case studies lay out perfect examples that other communities can easily follow. Among the case study sites are Sanibel Island, Florida; Austin, Texas; Baltimore County, Maryland; Charlotte Harbor, Florida; and Teton County, Wyoming.

Nature-Friendly Communities offers a useful overview of the increasing number of communities that have established successful nature protection programs and the significant benefits those programs provide. It is an important new work for public officials, community activists, and anyone concerned with understanding or implementing local or regional biodiversity protection efforts.

The Authors
CHRISTOPHER DUERKSEN is managing director of Clarion Associates, a Denver-based land use consulting firm. He is the founder, president, and chairman of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute.

CARA SNYDER is an independent consultant and writer; she was formerly an associate with Clarion Associates.