Development

If development continues at current rates, some areas in New England could be 63% developed by 2030.

The Threat

Development pressures are greatest in southern New England, although leisure home development is increasingly affecting lake-, river-, and ocean-front land in northern New England.

Poorly planned development can:

• significantly affect local watershed function
• reduce possibilities for resource management
• interrupt continuous recreation corridors
• threaten wildlife habitat
• increase costs for municipal and state services.

The Solution

Thoughtful place-based development policies can make more efficient use of the land, through:

• higher residential dwelling densities
• increased use of public transit systems, and
• cluster, mixed-use, and adaptive re-use development.

Our Role

Woodland councils and other groups in the Wildlands and Woodlands Partnership are working to protect land and inform policy that encourages land protection and sustainable development.