2005 Conservation Awards Winners
Map showing 2005 Awards Winners
Links to detailed descriptions of 2005 Winners on this page.
Burlington County, NJ
Dakota County, MN
Gallatin County, MT
Pima County, AZ
Pinellas County, FL
Platte County, MO
Burlington County, New Jersey
Photo by: Jen Bulava
Burlington County is New Jersey's largest county and home to over 450,000 residents. Since the creation of their Open Space and Farmland Preservation program in 1996, the County has preserved over 20,000 acres. With a focus on their agricultural heritage and natural resources, protection of drinking water, and maintenance of elaborate trail and hiking systems, the county has also ensured their ongoing economic vitality.
Burlington County has been particularly innovative in expanding their conservation efforts and investment in new projects. With a focus on their agricultural heritage and natural resources, protection of drinking water, and maintenance of elaborate trail and hiking systems, the county has also ensured the economic vitality of Burlington County-New Jersey's largest county.
A dedicated property tax raises $11 million per year and qualifies the county for matching funds from the State's Green Acres conservation program. The county also encourages conservation through grants to municipalities, non-profits, and individuals and through a Transfer of Development Rights program that helps promote smart growth.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture's Tim Brill notes, "Burlington County is head and shoulders above the rest of the state's counties in terms of farmland preservation." Deborah Bowers, editor of the Farmland Preservation Report, gives Burlington County high marks in terms of their "political commitment, number of acres protected, and level of professional administration (i.e., they have a fully staffed land use office)." The program is clearly a model for other counties in the state.
Commissioner: William S. Haines Jr.
Burlington County Web Site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
Located just south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, rapidly developing Dakota County has been looking for a way to grow that both preserves farms and natural lands and provides parks and recreation for it's expanding suburbs. With 95 percent of its population crowded into one-third of its area, Dakota County was forced to reconcile its rapidly developing suburbs with diminishing farmlands.
Years of planning by agencies, elected officials, and interest groups has led to the Dakota County Farmland and Natural Area Program. A Citizen Advisory Committee oversees all aspects of the program, which is funded by a $20 million county bond act, passed by voters in 2002, and matched with funds from other sources. The program also uses GIS computerized analysis to target land for protection. In only a few short years, the program has launched thirty-one conservation projects, with a long-term goal of protecting 10,000 acres. And with efficient success comes recognition.
Tom Lewanski with the nonprofit Friends of the Mississippi River says that the county has been a great partner. "Their GIS capabilities are top-notch," he says, "and they've shown great leadership in the state." The Natural Resource Conservation Service's Tim Kohler says that Dakota County "has been a pioneer in farmland and natural resource protection. The county is dealing with two opposing issues - suburban sprawl in the north and agriculture in the south - and they've created a model for this state and others in terms of how to effectively handle the two. Unbelievable citizen involvement effort. From the commission right down to the staff, all are great to work with. If you wrote a book about the ideal process for protecting open space - it would be about Dakota County's program."
Program Manager: Alan Singer
Dakota County Web Site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
Gallatin County, Montana
Photo by: Bill Gillette
Over the past 35 years, Gallatin County, in the Northern Rockies, has watched its rural, ranching landscape disappear as its population has increased by nearly 140 percent.
In June of 1997 the Gallatin County Commissioners formed the Gallatin County Open Space Task Force. This fifteen member task force was given the responsibility to protect rural areas from sprawl while encouraging growth and development consistent with preserving quality of life.
Citizens also responded, passing $10 million open space bonds in 2000 and again in November, 2004, giving the county funds to preserve its striking mountain vistas, rolling agricultural plains, fish-filled streams and abundant wildlife. To date, fourteen conservation projects are either completed or in-progress, toward the goal of preserving more than 25,000 acres. Much of the land is conserved through the use of conservation easements, which allow traditional ranching to continue while preventing development.
In addition to the voter-approved bonds Gallatin County supports conservation with state and federal money, including matching funds from the federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program, and from private donations. Through their wide network of partnerships, outside funding sources, a solid planning board, and a grand vision for Gallatin County, the Open Space Program has achieved a lot in only a few years, and with obvious citizen support this success can continue for years to come.
Joe Skinner, whose family has been ranching in Gallatin County for four generations says, "Residents here really support land preservation - as witnessed by the overwhelming support for the recent bond. They like that the program is incentive-based and voluntary." Skinner thinks it is great for Gallatin to receive this award because "people here don't realize how unique it is for a Montana county to do this - to pass two open space bonds, to tax themselves to purchase open space easements. A lot of other counties are looking to us as a model."
Commisioner: Joe P. Skinner
Gallatin County Web Site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
Development in and around Tucson, Arizona is currently consuming an estimated ten square miles a year of the biologically rich Sonoran Desert. To combat this trend, Pima County developed the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, including a science-based effort to accurately map the habitat of endangered species.
In May of 2004, county voters approved a $174 million bond that would be used with matching state funds to help protect critical habitat and biological corridors, for riparian restoration, mountain parks, historical and cultural preservation and ranchland conservation. The conservation effort includes public-private partnerships and an emphasis on public awareness and oversight to assure the community that tax dollars are being well spent and ensure the protection of the county's biodiversity for the next fifty years.
Pima County's success is reflected in a number of new projects including new parks and greenways and a 26-acre natural preserve within the City of Tucson. In addition to the voter-approved bond Pima County leverages funds from federal, state and county levels. This innovative approach to land conservation should ensure the protection of Pima's biodiversity for generations to come.
Maria Baier, executive director of the Valley Partnership (a non-profit organization promoting responsible development on behalf of commercial real estate developers) has worked alongside Pima County for many years. "They have done everything they could to save valuable lands in this area. The inclusiveness of the SDCP process - the county's effort to involve all segments of society - has been phenomenal."
Program Supervisor: Ray Carrol
Pima County Web site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
When Florida's most urbanized county also features nationally ranked beaches, abundant wildlife, and sensitive ecosystems, land conservation strategies help local leaders find common ground.
Since 1972, Pinellas County has worked to "red flag" protection areas of critical ecological concern. Voters have passed five referenda to fund conservation programs. The county has forged conservation partnerships with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, water management districts, and school boards, and it works with schools to teach environmental awareness at an early age. In 1990, the county created the 47-mile Pinellas Rail Trail, the first rails-to-trails effort in Florida and a model for trails nationwide.
In addition to the voter-approved referenda the Pinellas County Parks Department have sought funding through land donations, nonprofits, and grants. The county maintains more than 4,000 acres of parks and all but one of the 162 "red-flagged" areas have been protected.
With the broad partnerships and citizen-driven oversight and management Pinellas County officials expect to find it easier to fulfill their responsibility to improve the overall quality of life through the sound management and preservation of the environmental resources. "Everyone just loves the county," says Mandy Peterson with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Pinellas County Environmental Fund (PCEF). "The staff is the best - their conservation expertise, their ability to secure grants and funding. It's through the county's initiative that we've been able to get additional funding for the PCEF. I just can't say enough."
Commissioner: Susan Latvala
Pinellas County Web Site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
Platte County, a region once severely lacking protected green space, has experienced a conservation renaissance orchestrated by a master plan to build a parks system essentially from scratch. This unique opportunity has now led to Platte County's recognition by a national conservation organization.
"We knew we had to respond to growth and we chose to do it thoughtfully," said Platte County Presiding Commissioner Betty Knight. "Residents inspired this effort, and we eagerly assisted the citizenry with their vision for a public realm of trails and parks and preserved rural landscapes. The award goes to Platte County, but the honor is for our citizens."
The second fastest growing county in Missouri involved its citizens in deciding on the recreational projects it would pursue and in developing a plan to preserve hundreds of acres of precious lands and trail system that will span more than 300 miles. Each project is funded by a voter-approved one-half cent sales tax dedicated to parks and recreation, and stormwater control.
Midway through the 1990s, neighboring Kansas City's urban core began to deteriorate and sparked a flow of residents to outlying areas. The growth explosion placed strains on Platte County's infrastructure, and the lack of parks and recreation amenities and open space became more obvious. In 2000, the county's parks system consisted of a single 18-acre, neighborhood park. By 2004, the comprehensive master plan had expanded the county's parks system to more than 800 acres of conserved parks, open space, trails and greenways.
Commissioner: Betty Knight
Platte County Web Site
Read the full case study (1MB PDF file)
Updated 9/2005
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