The Trust for Public Land Honors Smart Growth Communities

San Francisco, December 7, 2000 — TPL has named seven states and counties as national models of using land conservation as a smart growth strategy. Greenprint Gallery 2000 recognizes these rapidly growing areas as leaders in seeking ways to guide growth and protect valuable natural resources. Details of these smart growth models are featured on the Trust for Public Land’s new web site at www.tpl.org.

TPL’s Greenprint Gallery 2000 honors:

Broward County, Florida, where voters approved $400 million to buy some of its last remaining open space and convert previously developed areas to parks.

Gallatin County, Montana, where a ranching community voted to approve funding for a Purchase of Development Rights program (PDRs).

The states of Illinois and Missouri, where voters approved funding for the first ever bi-state local parks district and its centerpiece – a 40-mile riverside park on both sides of the Mississippi.

Gwinnett County, Georgia, where the state and county partnered to protect green space through local financing and state matching funds.

The state of Ohio, which voted to fund conservation and urban revitalization by linking brownfield restoration and protecting suburban greenfields.

Westchester County, New York, where rapid growth galvanized seven towns to support open space preservation.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where the Community Preservation Act married housing, historic preservation, and open space protection.

Last November voters approved 172 of 205 conservation ballot questions, providing more than $7.4 billion in new funding for land conservation. In most of these referenda, voters approved tax increases. “The state and counties we are recognizing are outstanding examples of ways to protect important natural resources, provide parks and open space for the public, and avoid sprawl,” says TPL President Will Rogers.

Details of these smart growth models are featured on the Trust for Public Land’s newly redesigned web site at www.tpl.org. The new site offers quick and easy access to conservation information for local activists and conservation professionals. The site also features TPL reports and publications, including Land&People magazine and state news bulletins highlighting TPL’s work nationwide. An expanded newsroom houses press releases and media contacts for TPL’s 33 offices.

Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land specializes in conservation real estate, applying its expertise in negotiations, public finance, and law to protect land for public use and enjoyment. TPL launched its “Greenprint for Growth” campaign last year to conserve land as a way to guide growth, protect air and water, and ensure a high quality of life in communities nationwide.