Working Nature Into Land use Decisions: Resolving the Funding Dilemma

March 27 - St. Paul
8:30-12:30 pm (check in 8:00 am)

Faculty: Jenna Fletcher, Cordelia Pierson

Land This workshop is designed for local officials who want to understand the benefits and costs of open space conservation in the context of different development scenarios, plus learn how to construct an effective approach to financing land conservation, including local referendums, grant programs, and working with developers and landowners. Participants will gain a balanced picture of the long-term fiscal implications of development and land conservation decisions, and bring back viable strategies for funding land conservation in their communities.

Workshop Topics:

• Recent data illustrating how different types of open space affect property values
  
• The different long-term costs of development and open space, plus a framework for analyzing these costs
  
• Various local funding strategies for financing open space
  
• How to identify viable strategies for funding land conservation
  
• How to leverage local funding through state and federal programs: types of programs, who to contact, where funding is available.
  
• Nonprofit roles, expertise, resources available to help local communities with open space planning

Special Features:

• Putting Together a Financial Strategy: A Quick Simulation
  
• Examples drawn from local communities
  

Note: This is the third workshop in the new series Working Nature into Land Use Decisions which began in January, 2008. It was developed through a collaborative effort of state, local, nonprofit experts and practitioners and was funded in part by Embrace Open Space. It is not necessary to have attended the previous workshops.

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