Integrating Land Use Planning and Biodiversity - Defenders of Wildlife

LAND USE PLANNING AND BIODIVERSITY
assessments, and others have expressed interest in drafting
plans in the near future (see status map on the next page).
Although these states' assessments differ in approach,
scope and methodology, all recognize the connection
between conservation and land use planning, and that
these disciplines can be used in a complementary fashion
to help preserve biodiversity and natural habitats. This is
particularly true in urbanizing landscapes where land use
planning tends to focus and is most influential.
The few existing statewide conservation assessments use
habitat and species information compiled by various government
and private groups. Among these sources of
information are the individual state's natural heritage programs.
Initiated by The Nature Conservancy more than
25 years ago, these programs catalogue inventories of
each state's wild animals, plants and plant communities.
The Nature Conservancy has also begun to develop
ecoregional plans, using ecological boundaries defined
by environmental conditions such as moisture and solar
radiation, and characteristic assemblages of species and
habitats (Groves et al. 2000) to define 80 ecoregions
within the United States. Each plan will feature conservation
sites containing native plant and animal communities
representative of the ecoregion's biodiversity and provide
habitat for the region's "at risk" species.
funds are available through the Department of Interior's
State Wildlife Grants Program. As of 2001, this program
was funded at $80 million per year. To be eligible for
these grants, a state fish and wildlife agency must agree
to complete a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan
by October 2005, and have the federal funds matched by
nonfederal funds at a level of twenty-five percent for
planning activities, and fifty percent for plan implementation.
The State Wildlife Grants program, along with the
information compiled by The Nature Conservancy and
others, puts state and local land use planners in a good
position to undertake comprehensive conservation
planning.
However many state and local planners remain unaware
of conservation plans or how to integrate them with local
land use planning. Consequently, existing conservation
strategies, local land use plans and related decision-making
processes are not often connected effectively.
Historically, local planning has not addressed habitat
conservation systematically, and conservation groups and
wildlife agencies have not always used land use planning
processes effectively for habitat protection, hence opportunities
to protect biodiversity and conserve habitat have
often been missed. Even so called "smart growth" plans
have often failed to include specifically designated
wildlife habitats.
To assist state fish and wildlife agencies in developing
and implementing statewide conservation plans Federal
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