TABLE OF CONTENTS A town is saved not more by the righteous men in it than by the woods and swamps that surround it.
Henry David Thoreau
An increase in the awareness of the benefits that natural resources such as open space and vegetative buffers, and historic resources provide, both individually and in aggregate, has caused the issue of resource preservation and augmentation to become an integral part of the land development process.
As our built environment expands, it is imperative that land development activities not compromise the long-term quality of our natural environment. The responsibility of land stewardship is shared among various stakeholders including environmental, engineering, and legal professionals; corporations; community and urban planners; architects; public officials; and private citizens. Therefore, any individual who participates in the land development process should understand and appreciate the important functions and values provided by natural resources in climate, air, and water quality preservation.
Wetland, wetland buffer areas, and forests as well as other forms of open space are a vital part of our economic future. As such, these features have become increasingly regulated at the federal, state, and local levels through laws, ordinances, and formal recommendations included in comprehensive plans linking the natural and built environments. While wetlands and water bodies are regulated at the federal...
