Land Use in America

Over the past two decades, great strides have been made on a wide variety of environmental fronts. Air and water quality have improved significantly, certain endangered species are on the road to recovery, and there is a marked increase in environmental awareness among the general population. Yet at the same time, little has changed in our approach toward how land is used.

Henry L. Diamond and Patrick F. Noonan, two preeminent figures in the modern conservation movement, examine that unfortunate circumstance as they provide a broad overview of major land use issues of the past twenty-five years and a ten-point agenda for future action. They look at key trends and patterns of the past two decades, and consider what can be done to help communities throughout the country accomodate growth in better, more environmentally sound, more fiscally responsible ways.

Diamond and Noonan base the synthesis and analysis featured in the first part of the book in large part on a series of papers from leading scholars, public officials, and practitioners that are included in their entirety in the second part of the book. The contributors provide and in-depth look at important topics, including:

• Howard Dean, governor of Vermont, on Vermont's experience with growth management plan
• Douglas P. Wheeler, secretary of the California Resources Agency, on the implementation of ecosystem management in California
• Jean W. Hocker, president of the Land Trust Alliance, on what land trusts are and how they work
• John A. Georges, chairman and chief executive officer of International Paper Company, on management of forest resources
• Jerold S. Kayden, professor at Harvard University, on private property rights and the "takings" issue