Poorly planned land development is a prime contributor to the loss of America’s natural heritage of animal and plant diversity. But a new report by the
Environmental Law Institute finds that simply utilizing existing biodiversity information may help remedy this problem. What is needed, the authors of Planning with
Nature: Biodiversity Information in Action conclude, are improved linkages between biodiversity data generated by state natural heritage programs with land
development and management decisions. The report highlights a broad spectrum of opportunities available to states under existing law and policy to require and
encourage the use of biodiversity information in land use decisionmaking.
The...
