Landowners and the Public
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Most land in America is privately held, managed by farmers, ranchers and private forest owners. Voluntary private land conservation, and the good stewardship of these lands by their owners, is essential to conserving America’s natural heritage.
For landowners, decisions about whether and how to conserve your land permanently are complicated and highly personal. The role of this website is not to suggest a right or wrong approach, but rather to help inform your decision-making process by providing useful resources. Here are a few examples of how landowners can make use of LandScope America:
- The website can provide information about the conservation value of your land and how it might fit into local and regional contexts. For example, the importance of your land as habitat for wildlife can increase if it is part of a system of connected open spaces.
- We provide ready resources that describe options for conserving your land, sources of funds for habitat improvement, and relevant agencies in your area. You can learn about the financial benefits of land conservation as well (there are many!).
Of course, not all of us own significant natural lands or open space ourselves. Most Americans live in urban and suburban areas in houses that sit on small lots. For those of us in that category, access to natural lands and open spaces is vitally important. LandScope America will let you explore, understand, and help conserve the places you love. Here are some ways you might want to use LandScope America:
- Zoom into a highly detailed and interactive local map that puts your favorite places in the full context of their surroundings—including land cover, habitat types, nearby parks and nature preserves, recreational opportunities, and man-made features.
Tip: Enter your zip code or address in the Find box on the map viewer.
- Explore these natural places through maps, stories, photos, audio and video.
Tip: Click on the symbols on the map to pop open photos and other multi-media content about that place.
- View detailed current aerial photography of your region.
Tip: Select the Satellite base map.
- Find a land trust that operates near where you live.
Tip: Click on Find a Land Trust.
- Create customized map views of interest to you, label and save them, and share them with your friends via email or through social media sites.
Tip: Use the Draw, Save and Share tools at the top right of the map viewer.
- Receive conservation news and updates about new LandScope content via RSS feeds.
Tip: Sign up for the Conservation News RSS feed.
Suggested Content to Explore Next
- Find your state’s home page.
- Scan articles and case studies about the effects of climate change.
- Read a fascinating piece about parks and protected areas.
- Learn about your ecoregion.
- View a great story and photos about the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravine Preserve in Florida.
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