Land Conservation Through Public/Private Partnerships.

• Author: Tinsley, James D.

The members of Congress who created Yellowstone National Park more than 100 years ago understood the need to protect our nation's natural resources and to provide places where the public could enjoy our nation's beauty. Since the creation of the first national park, all levels of government, with the assistance of private landowners, have done much more to preserve America's natural heritage.

Land Conservation through Public/Private Partnerships demonstrates how local, state and federal agencies have, in recent years, formed partnerships with nonprofit organizations to preserve our nation's valuable natural resources, open land and wildlife. The reader is introduced to programs of governmental agencies collaborating with the private sector in these areas of interest. Case studies outline ways to structure a wide range of land-protection strategies using a coordinated public/private-sector approach.

The projects identified in this book give insight into the necessity to involve and coordinate both the public and private sector in the process. The authors emphasize the importance of involving the local community, and public- and private-sector coordination is stressed as a critical tool for addressing all community concerns.

Suggestions of which state or federal agency should be involved in a potential project are related to different types of purchases and possible methods of financing. The illustration of strategies used to negotiate and finance specific projects underscores the critical role nonprofit organizations play, stressing the advantages of speed and flexibility that these private organizations bring to the business of land protection. The book also demonstrates how public funds often are leveraged to...