Our region takes great pride in its natural treasures, including the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, Virginia's historic battlefields, rich farmland and rolling hills. These scenic places have obvious aesthetic value, but are also rich with ecological, historic, economic, and social importance. Conserving natural areas for ourselves and for our children is important to those who live in the region.

Poorly Planned Development = Loss of Natural Areas & Open Space

Unfortunately, we are losing farmland and natural areas at an alarming rate as a result of scattered development in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Scattered development requires more and more land for roads, houses and strip malls. This wasteful land use puts America's farmland at risk, especially our most fertile and productive farmland as well as other natural areas.

We can preserve our natural, historic and rural areas by clustering development where services and infrastructure already exist. By building shops, houses, offices and jobs near one another and by reinvesting in existing communities we can keep natural areas in working farmland and recreation areas. Providing residents with a variety of transportation alternatives and keeping development in compact, walkable areas reduces the need to build roads and perpetuate sprawl.

Two zoning tools used to protect open space are conservation easements and Transfer of Development Rights (TDR).

More on Open Space:
Solutions that protect Natural areas
Contacts
Land Conservation Program  - Piedmont Environmental Council
Water Quality


Related Issues:
Land Use
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
Sprawl

Reports:
Conserving the Washington-Baltimore Region's Green Network - June 2004
American Farmland Trust & Chesapeak Bay Foundation
Impacts of Sprawl on Open Space (PDF) - Biodiversity Project
Sprawling Development Threatens America's Best Farmland American Farmland Trust
Virginia's Open Spaces and Public Lands PDF) - Virginia Naturally
A Field Guide to Conservation Funding Programs for Landowners and the Farming Community - Chesapeake Bay Foundation