Forest Service 

Open Space 

Conservation Strategy

Cooperating across boundaries to sustain 

working and natural landscapes

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest

Service
2 | Forest Service
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 3

Forest Service

Open Space Conservation Strategy

Cooperating across boundaries to 

sustain working and natural landscapes

Open space—forests, grasslands, farms, ranches, wetlands, riparian areas, and 

urban greenspaces—provides vital ecosystem services and benefits for society. 

Each day, we lose 6,000 acres of open space in the United States as more people 

choose to live at the urban fringe and in scenic, rural areas. While growth and 

development provide homes, jobs, and other positive benefits for society, where and 

how we grow impacts the sustainability of natural systems and the overall quality of life 

for Americans. 

The mission of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the 

health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet 

the needs of present and future generations. We cannot fulfill this mission without 

addressing the rapid loss of open space. Development of open space affects our ability 

to manage the national forests and grasslands, as well as our ability to help private 

landowners and communities sustainably manage their land to maintain private and 

public benefits and ecosystem services.

At stake is the ability of private and public forests and rangelands to provide clean 

water, scenic beauty, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, natural-resource-based 

jobs, forest products, and carbon sequestration. Development in many parts of the 

country—including growth adjacent to the national forests and grasslands—increases 

the risk of wildfire for people and property, raises the cost and risk of fighting fires, 

contributes to the spread of invasive species, increases conflicts among recreational 

users, reduces access to recreation lands, and fragments fish and wildlife habitat. 
4 | Forest Service

What Is Open Space?

Open space describes land that is 

valued for natural processes and 

wildlife, agricultural and forest 

production, aesthetic beauty, 

active and passive recreation, and 

other public benefits. Such lands 

include working and natural forests, 

rangelands and grasslands, farms, 

ranches, parks, stream and river 

corridors, and other natural lands 

within rural, suburban, and urban 

areas. Open space may be protected or 

unprotected, public or private. 

Open Space Benefits:

 Clean Air and Water

 Water Supplies

 Natural Flood Control

 Food 

 Timber, Forage, and Other 

Products

 Wildlife Habitat and Corridors

 Endangered Species Recovery

 Climate Regulation 

 Scenic Beauty

 Recreation Opportunities 

and Access

 Community Revitalization

 Improved Human Health

 Opportunities To Connect Youth 

With Nature

 Increased Property Values 

The Forest Service currently works with 

partners to conserve open space across 

the country by managing 193 million 

acres of national forests and grasslands; 

conducting research and technological 

development; and providing technical, 

financial, and educational assistance 

to landowners and communities. Our 

programs, expertise, and authorities 

historically have helped conserve open 

space and can continue to help in the 

future. Our role is not to regulate development or land use, but to work with 

States, communities, landowners, and 

others to strategically conserve open 

space across the landscape.

Our vision for the 21st century is an 

interconnected network of open space 

across the landscape that supports 

healthy ecosystems and a high quality 

of life for Americans. Fully realized, 

this network will include sustainably 

managed private forests and rangelands, 

national forests and grasslands, other 

public land, riparian areas and wildlife 

corridors, and urban greenspaces. 

Private and public open spaces will 

complement each other across the 

landscape to provide ecosystem 

services, wildlife habitat, recreation 

opportunities, and sustainable products.

Thanks to the dedication and energy of 

landowners, communities, nonprofit 

organizations, public agencies, corporations, and other conservationists across 

the country, the Nation has already 

made great strides towards this vision. 

More work needs to be done, though, 

to sustain healthy ecosystems and to 

ensure that current and future generations can enjoy open space, whether in 

the city or in remote wildlands.

This strategy outlines national priorities 

to help the Forest Service be a more effective partner in open space conservation. The strategy provides a framework 

to focus existing and new Forest Service 

actions for open space conservation. 

It provides guidance for Forest Service 

units and employees to fully utilize resources and skills from all parts and levels of the agency and to improve coordination across the agency. The strategy 

supports the Conserve Open Space goal 

in the agency’s strategic plan.

The strategy emphasizes collaborative 

approaches and partnerships. Working 

together across the agency with partners, the Forest Service can make lasting contributions to the protection and 

stewardship of the Nation’s open spaces. 
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 5

Our Goal: Conserve 

Open Space

Sustain the environmental, social, and economic benefits 

of forests and grasslands across the landscape by:

 Protecting the most ecologically and socially 

important lands;

 Conserving working lands as sustainable forests 

and grasslands;

 Expanding and connecting open spaces in cities, 

suburbs, and towns; and

 Reducing the potential ecological impacts and risks 

of development.

Priority Actions

Four priorities will guide Forest Service action into the future:

A. Convene partners to identify and protect priority 

open space.

B. Promote national policies and markets to help 

private landowners conserve open space.

C. Provide resources and tools to help communities 

expand and connect open spaces.

D. Participate in community growth planning to 

reduce ecological impacts and wildfire risks.

Thirteen supporting actions will help us meet these priorities. The actions emphasize our roles as a policy advisor 

at the national level, a convener at the regional level, and 

an information provider and stakeholder at the local level. 

The actions are supported by authorities in the Cooperative 

Forestry Assistance Act, National Forest Management Act, 

and Wyden Amendment, among other legislation. All of the 

actions will be implemented through partnerships and collaboration with others. 

The Forest Service respects private property rights and 

local jurisdiction over land use and will only work with 

willing landowners, States, and local governments to 

implement this strategy. Our objective is to facilitate, 

encourage, and galvanize voluntary land conservation 

to help ensure that forests and grasslands across the 

landscape can continue to provide valued services and 

benefits for society. 
6 | Forest Service

A. Convene partners to identify 

and protect priority open space

u Conduct a rapid science-based assessment of open space change to 

inform priorities.

 Work with partners to conduct a rapid assessment of open space change. 

 Project land uses, extent of open space loss, and ecosystem conditions to define the 

emerging national and regional hotspots of open space change. 

 Build on existing information from the Forest Service’s Renewable Resources Planning Act 

Assessment, Forest Inventory and Analysis program, Scenery Management System, Forests 

on the Edge project, Spatial Analysis project, and regional assessments like the Southern 

Forest Resource Assessment. 

 Incorporate assessment information from other agencies, States, universities, and 

conservation organizations, such as State forest resource assessments, State wildlife action 

plans, and ecoregional assessments.

v Convene partners and stakeholders to identify regional priority lands.

 Convene or participate in existing discussions with other Federal agencies, States, regional 

councils, county and municipal governments, landowners, nonprofit organizations, 

recreation users, land trusts, developers, and other stakeholders at regional levels to identify 

priority lands for conservation. 

 Reach out to and include nontraditional partners, such as corporations, smart growth 

advocates, health organizations, youth groups, minority and underserved populations, and 

religious organizations, to incorporate views from varied perspectives and interests. 

 Share information from the national rapid assessment, regional assessments, and other 

scientific studies to help identify lands under threat of conversion with high ecological, 

social, and economic value. 
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 7

w Protect regional priority lands through partnerships and mechanisms 

such as land acquisition and conservation easements.

 Work with willing landowners and other partners to protect regional 

priority lands through land acquisitions, conservation easements, land 

exchanges, donations, and other conservation mechanisms. 

 Help protect priority lands through the Land and Water Conservation 

Fund and Forest Legacy programs. Streamline land adjustment and 

acquisition processes to improve the agency’s ability to protect lands 

within National Forest System boundaries under high development 

pressure. 

 Work with partners to leverage non-Federal funds and contributions, and 

to spur private conservation efforts that complement Federal investments. 

 Coordinate with other Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental land 

acquisition and easement programs to link protected areas and leverage 

Federal investments. 
8 | Forest Service

B. Promote national policies 

and markets to help private 

landowners conserve open space

x Identify where changes in tax and other Federal policies could provide economic 

incentives and remove barriers for open space conservation.

 Study the impact of Federal policies on the ability of family and industrial landowners to maintain open space and the ability of communities to plan for and 

conserve open space. 

 Develop options for new and modified Federal tax policies that could help 

landowners afford to own and maintain forests and rangelands, as well as 

transfer their land to the next generation. 

 Provide ideas for how other Federal policies could be modified through 

legislative or executive action to help conserve open space. 

y Support the development of emerging ecosystem service markets to encourage 

private investments in open space conservation.

 Advance and support market-based approaches to the conservation and 

enhancement of ecosystem services, such as water-quality trading, conservation 

banking, and carbon-credit trading. 

 Focus research efforts on valuation of benefits; measurement, monitoring, and 

verification protocols; and market-based project design. 

 Sponsor pilot programs and demonstration projects that test and evaluate 

market mechanisms. 

 Broaden partnerships to promote a collective awareness of ecosystem services 

and market opportunities. 
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 9

z Encourage natural-resource-based industries to provide economic 

incentives for landowners to retain working land. 

 Support the development and expansion of new markets for sustainable 

forest and rangeland products, including woody biomass energy 

production. 

 Provide assistance to help sustain existing forest-based markets and 

products. 

 Provide assistance and supportive policies to help public land ranchers 

maintain viable ranching businesses and continue owning the private 

ranch lands associated with their National Forest System grazing permits. 

 Share information with landowners on the economic advantages of 

combining sustainable forestry and agriculture practices. 

{ Support recreation and tourism uses to generate revenue for 

landowners and communities from open space lands.

 Promote the expansion of nature-based tourism and outdoor 

recreation industries to provide revenue and jobs from open space lands. 

 Identify policy changes and incentives to encourage landowners to 

provide recreation and nature-tourism opportunities on private land 

and access to public lands.

| Provide and encourage landowner assistance and incentives to 

help keep working lands working.

 Continue working with State forestry agencies to provide forestry 

assistance to landowners to improve the economics of private forest 

management and promote sustainable forest management. 

 Develop and disseminate forestry resources for landowners 

with emphasis on outreach to new and 

future owners. 

 Work with the Natural Resources Conservation 

Service; Cooperative State Research, Education and 

Extension Service; and other Federal agencies to 

expand education, outreach, technical assistance, 

cost-share, and other Federal incentives for forest and 

range landowners. 

 Coordinate with other agencies to deliver 

complementary, efficient, and customer-centric 

services for landowners. 

ß Increase landowner awareness of and access 

to existing Federal programs.
10 | Forest Service

C. Provide resources and 

tools to help communities 

expand and connect open spaces

} Provide urban forestry assistance to communities to enhance and 

restore open space within cities, suburbs, and towns.

 Share urban forestry and agroforestry techniques and tools that can help 

restore and enhance open spaces in developed areas. 

 Continue working with municipalities to establish and maintain local 

urban forestry programs. 

 Share research findings with county and municipal governments 

on the importance of accessible open space for human health, child 

development, and community well-being. 

~ Develop tools to help communities strategically connect open spaces to 

build a functioning green infrastructure.

 Develop and share information and tools to help local leaders and 

planners strategically protect parks, riparian areas, source water 

protection areas, and wetlands to build an interconnected green 

infrastructure that provides ecosystem services and recreation 

opportunities for urban and suburban citizens. 

 Expand existing green infrastructure training and workshops for local 

planners. 

 Identify and share forestry practices to help control stormwater runoff, 

connect forest fragments, and improve wildlife habitat in urban and rural 

communities. 
D. Participate in community 

growth planning to 

reduce ecological impacts 

and wildfire risks 

~ Support and participate in local, regional, and transportation planning to 

conserve open space and retain ecosystem benefits.

 Develop new science-based tools to help communities consider and use 

landscape-level natural resource information in their planning, as well as 

visualize and evaluate future options for landscape change. 

 Train employees on how to engage in local, regional, and transportation 

planning in a constructive manner that respects local authority and 

decisionmaking. 

 In communities adjacent to national forests and grasslands, participate 

in planning discussions as a stakeholder and provide information on how 

growth decisions will affect public land resources and public access. 

 Continue including local communities in National Forest System planning 

to help coordinate local land use and national forest plans. 

~ Work with communities to plan for and reduce wildfire risks.

 Identify and map wildfire risks and open space values to help communities 

develop Community Wildfire Protection Plans and guide new development 

away from high-risk areas and places that are difficult to protect. 

 Continue outreach efforts to communities, developers, homeowner 

associations, and individual homeowners to implement Firewise and other 

mitigation practices to reduce risk of wildfire. 

 Acquire and exchange lands within National Forest System boundaries to 

reduce islands and fingers of urban development within wildlands. 

 Share information on how new developments adjacent to the national 

forests and grasslands may affect the ability to remove hazardous fuels from 

the public lands and increase risks for firefighters.

11

12

Open Space Conservation Strategy | 11
~ Research and share techniques to reduce the impacts of new 

developments on ecosystem functions, scenic values, public 

access, and forest-based economies.

 Research, develop, and share new designs, technologies, and techniques 

to help local planners and developers reduce the ecological impacts of 

new buildings, roads, and community infrastructure. 

 Share landscape architecture techniques to help planners and developers 

maintain the scenic qualities of open space. 

 Research and share information on how new developments adjacent to 

the national forests and grasslands may affect public access for recreation, 

wildlife habitat, and forest management. 

 Communicate how the loss of open space increases the cost of managing 

national forests and grasslands and other public lands. 

 Conduct research and share information about the economic and social 

benefits of maintaining large blocks of forest in private or community 

ownership. 

13

12 | Forest Service
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 13

A Living Strategy: Grassroots Action 

This strategy will be implemented through a grassroots approach to encourage 

continual learning, innovations, and engagement by all levels of the Forest Service. 

Staff at the regions, research stations, the area, the institute, forests, districts, and 

other units will identify specific implementation steps in their strategic plans, 

business plans, and employee work plans. Implementation steps include:

 Continue to affirm and demonstrate open space conservation as a priority 

for the agency.

 Work with partners to raise public awareness of the importance of and 

threats to open space.

 Raise internal and external awareness of the Forest Service’s role in open 

space conservation and linkages to National Forest System management. 

 Coordinate across all parts of the agency to integrate and fully leverage 

Forest Service expertise, programs, and partnerships. 

 Recognize and reward employee and partner accomplishments.

 Develop learning networks and online resources to facilitate the sharing 

of ideas and successes across the country.

To begin implementation, we have developed a new Web site: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace. This site includes a wealth of specific ideas 

from the public on what the Forest Service can do to conserve open space. 

The public input not only helped us set priorities as described above, but it will also 

help inform implementation. We will continually solicit more ideas from the public 

and from agency employees to keep this Web site current and 

relevant. The Web site also provides success stories, aerial 

images of open space loss, links to open space programs, 

publications, and other helpful resources. 

Our goal is for this strategy to be a living document 

that inspires all Forest Service units, staffs, and 

employees to find ways to conserve open space as an 

integral, core part of their work. We will periodically 

revisit our national priorities, using new information from 

the public, to ensure that our open space efforts remain 

relevant and useful. This strategy is just the first step in the 

long and continuing involvement of the Forest Service in 

open space conservation. 
14 | Forest Service

Acknowledgements

This strategy was developed by a diverse team with representatives from different 

levels and parts of the agency. The team considered input from over 22,000 

comments received from the public and from Forest Service employees. They also 

reviewed input from three focus group listening sessions held with partners and 

stakeholders in Washington, DC, North Carolina, and Colorado. Contributors 

include the following:

Steering Committee

Larry Payne, Director, Cooperative 

Forestry (Chair)

Janette Kaiser, Director, Rangeland 

Management

Pete Roussopoulos, Director, 

Southern Research Station

Kathryn Maloney, Director, 

Northeastern Area

Kathy McAllister, Deputy Regional 

Forester, Northern Region

Strategy Development Team

Jon Haber, Regional Conservation 

Planner, Northern Region

Nan Christianson, Forest Public Affairs 

Officer, Bitteroot National Forest, 

Northern Region

Tammy Randall-Parker, District 

Ranger, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, 

and Gunnison National Forests, Rocky 

Mountain Region

Jane Darnell, Wyoming Capital City 

Coordinator, National Forests and 

National Grasslands of Wyoming, Rocky 

Mountain and Intermountain Regions

Gary Ziehe, Range Management 

Specialist, Southwestern Region

Larry Timchak, Forest Supervisor, 

Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 

Intermountain Region

Brent Handley, Director of Natural 

Resources Management, Pacific 

Southwest Region

Robert Iwamoto, Forest Supervisor, 

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 

Pacific Northwest Region

Bill Otani, Regional Wildlife Program 

Leader, Pacific Northwest Region

Marsha Kearney, Forest Supervisor, 

Florida National Forests, Southern 

Region

Ed Macie, Regional Urban Forester, 

Southern Region

Pam Brown, Deputy Forest Supervisor, 

Superior National Forest, Eastern 

Region

Andy Mason, Director of State and 

Private Forestry, Alaska Region

Martina Barnes, Regional Planner, 

Northeastern Area

Ralph Alig, Land Use Research Team 

Leader, Pacific Northwest Research 

Station

Brett Butler, Research Forester, 

Northern Research Station

Dave Wear, Forest Economics and 

Policy Project Leader, Southern 

Research Station

Kathryn Conant, Forest Legacy 

Program Manager, Washington Office

Peggy Harwood, Urban and 

Community Forestry Program 

Manager, Washington Office

Floyd Thompson, National Tourism 

and Byways Program Leader, 

Washington Office
Open Space Conservation Strategy | 15

Washington Office Staff Team

Claire Harper, Cooperative Forestry 

(National Coordinator)

Tracy Calizon, Research and 

Development

Stephanie Bertaina, Cooperative 

Forestry

Meg Roessing, Forest Management

Amanda Cundiff, Cooperative 

Forestry

Kay Wiand, Program and Budget 

Analysis

James Melonas, Cooperative Forestry

Keith Cline, Urban and Community 

Forestry

Katie Goslee, Cooperative Forestry 

Photo Credits

Cover: Natural Resources Conservation 

Service

Page 2, Housing Photo: Metropolitan 

Design Center Image Bank©. Regents of 

the University of Minnesota. All rights 

reserved.

Page 2, Osprey: Kathryn Conant

Page 2, Women and Child: Shane Heath.

Page 4: Natural Resources Conservation 

Service

Page 8, Cattle: Keith Weller, Agricultural 

Research Service

Page 11, Fire: Paul Ryan, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service

Page 12, Elk: Craig Harper

Page 12, Aspens: Shane Heath

Page 13, people: Natural Resources 

Conservation Service

Page 15, Cedar Waxwing: Kathryn 

Conanat

All other photos: Forest Service or 

USDA Photography
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FS-889

November 2007