Land-of-Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) works with leaders from across our four-
    county region to develop a strategic plan for conservation and development. The
    project brings together data from public, private, and non-profit sources,
    resulting in a series of maps and other tools that can be used to help guide land
    use decisions across the landscape.  

    How does the Linking Lands Project differ from other land use planning
    efforts?

    The Linking Lands Project aims to understand how our natural systems function
    across the entire four-county region. While many groups and municipalities focus
    their land use-related efforts on smaller subsets of the region, the Linking Lands
    Project uses a landscape perspective to understand the region as a whole.  
    Natural systems don't stop at county boundaries, or at the edges of a land trust's
    focus area.  This regional approach provides a broader context that can help to
    knit together these disparate efforts and provide opportunities for leverage and
    partnership to implement conservation and growth management priorities.

    Project Methodology

    Using the green infrastructure planning approach, the Linking Lands project
    has identified a physical network comprised of the region's most valuable natural
    systems - including lands that provide water resources, agricultural lands (farms
    and forests), wildlife habitat and large functioning ecosystems, recreation lands
    and cultural resources.

    This science-based approach incorporates the most current data from local and
    state agencies and the land trust community and "on the ground" knowledge of
    local experts.  A series of ecological assessments (conducted by local
    partners), finalized in the fall of 2009, serve as the backbone for the regional
    green infrastructure assessment.

    Working with the project partners and GIS experts, A Regional Green
    Infrastructure Network was identified and mapped.  The Network links the high-
    value resources into a system that serves as a resource for local governments,
    land trusts, landowners, and developers.  

    Implementation strategies and tools for land use planning, financing,
    management, and stewardship have been collected and can be found on the
    Implementation page.











The project is organized into 5
distinct steps:

1.   Develop broad-based partnerships
and recruit community leaders to
participate in the following four steps of the
project.

2.   Gather data, conduct ecological
assessments and develop maps for key
elements of our region’s natural systems (i.
e., green infrastructure), including water
resources, agricultural lands, wildlife
habitat, recreation and conservation lands,
and cultural resources.

3.   Develop a science-based green
infrastructure network for the region
based on the assessments and data
collected above.

4.   Create a Regional  Network that
incorporates future development and
natural disturbance factors into the green
infrastructure network developed above.

5.   Identify implementation strategies for
the Regional Conservation and
Development Network and engage
partners in these activities.        

Public outreach events are scheduled
throughout these 5 steps to solicit
feedback on all phases of the project and
share our results with the regional
community.
A Project of Land-of-Sky Regional Council
339 New Leicester Hwy. Asheville, NC 28806
ph: (828) 251-6622     fax: (828) 251-6353
Linking Lands and Communities
in the Land-of-Sky Region

Creating a framework for conservation and development that    
respects community values and natural systems