
| Linking Lands and Communities in the Land-of-Sky Region |

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

Green Infrastructure: Our Natural Life Support System When you think of the word, "infrastructure", what comes to mind? Roads, water and sewer lines, telephone lines, schools or water treatment plants, perhaps? We often think of these types of infrastructure as bray infrastructure" or "built infrastructure". By definition, infrastructure refers to "the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization; the fundamental facilities and systems serving a country, city, or area". Built infrastructure is developed as systems created to support the many needs of growing communities. . When we talk about green infrastructure,we are referring to the underlying framework of natural systems that serve a country, city, or area. Our green infrastructure is an interconnected network of natural lands and other open spaces, including forests, streams and rivers, meadows, farmlands, wetlands, ridge tops, bogs, caves that provide key services to our communities. These services included clean air and water, food and fibers, wood products, recreation opportunities, and many others. Healthy natural systems provide wildlife habitat for critters, soils and micro-climates for plants to survive, and ensure important ecological functions that sustains interdependent web that supports all living things. A green infrastructure network includes:
A System of Hubs, Links, and Sites A Green infrastructure network can be envisioned as a system of hubs, links and sites.
people and ecological processes moving through the system. Examples of hubs in our region include: Pisgah National Forests, DuPont State Forest, Gorges State Park.
biodiversity of wildlife populations; Linkages are often river corridors, greenways, or trail systems which may also provide recreation value for residents and visitors. Examples of potential linkages in our region include: the French Broad River, Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian Trail.
may include community parks, recreation areas, and cultural sites. Examples of sites in our region may inlcude Jackson Park in Hendersonville, Azalea Park or Carrier Park in Asheville, or the Carl Sandburg House (National Historic Park) in Flat Rock. |

| 339 New Leicester Hwy. Asheville, NC 28806 ph: (828) 251-6622 fax: (828) 251-6353 |
| A Project of Land-of-Sky Regional Council |

Interested in learning more about Green infrastructure planning? Check out these upcoming training courses offered by The Conservation Fund A Strategic Approach to Conservation Planning Using the Green Infrastructure Approach Planning for Climate Change Using the Green Infrastructure Approach GIS Tools for Strategic Conservation Planning |