On a planet with populations exploding, land is perhaps our most precious commodity. It supports everything else we do. How do we best use it? Which parcels lend themselves to agriculture, which should be put into conservation protection, where are the hidden aquifers, what’s the best spot for development, and how do we site our newest technologies — renewable energy systems? Does it ever make sense to cut down a healthy forest for new uses of the land? How do we avoid sprawl and conserve ecosystems while still meeting human needs for land?
Join land use expert Dr. Curt Freese for a look at how we might create ecosystem banks that make undeveloped land valuable. He’ll examine systems of payment for ecosystem services as a tool for informing land use decisions. Curt will be followed by Steve Smith, Executive Director of SRPEDD and Katie Goodrum, Senior Planner of SRPEDD, for a discussion of how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can inform better land use decisions. Then, listen to two DCR foresters, Mollie Freilicher and Michael Downey, discuss urban and community forestry from the perspectives of both communities and landowners and learn about resources available from Massachusetts. Case studies in urban agriculture and land reuse will be presented for Fall River and New Bedford.