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Programs and Policy

Habitat and Sprawl

Defenders' Experts

Existing Programs at Work

Encouraged by the availability of new tools and information, conservation planners have been developing biodiversity plans throughout the United States over the past 15 years. Approaches vary considerably in scale, primary emphasis, purpose, goals, technical sophistication, and level of participation. No single effort emerges as the perfect model, but varying approaches may be necessary to reflect ecological, cultural, and political differences.

The conservation plans and programs described below emphasize a growing number of communities throughout the U.S. that are beginning to address biodiversity protection within the context of sprawl and the threats of development. They range from local (i.e., city, township) to multi-state in scale. While some states, regions, and local communities have begun to link conservation efforts, much more coordination is needed. Perhaps as more statewide conservation plans are developed in the future, a state institutional framework for providing biodiversity conservation guidance at the local level will emerge.