The Great Swamp Watershed Association
Leonard W. Hamilton, Ph.D.
Rutgers University Science and Technology Advisor
For more information, or hard copies ($10 each), contact
Great Swamp Watershed Association 973.966.1900
Copyrights © 1997 Great Swamp Watershed Association
May be reproduced for personal and non-commercial purposes
To Helen Fenske
Contents
1. Open Space: Our Legacy to Future Generations
Hon. Stuart Udall
Our nation's successes and failures in protecting open space as a natural resource.
2. Conserving Regional Resources
Robert D. Yaro, Regional Plan Association
An analysis of issues that require cooperation of different levels of government and the general public to preserve open space, so as to provide common resources such as water, recreational facilities, clean air, and so forth.
3. The Ecological and Biological Benefits of Open Space
Richard Kane, NJ Audubon Society
A discussion of the contributions of open space to maintenance of biodiversity and protection of endangered species habitat.
4. The Psychological Value of Open Space
Nora Rubinstein, Ph. D.
The benefits of open space and the activities promoted by open space for both physical and psychological health. A general discussion of issues such as crowding, crime, disease, and other risk factors.
5. Visioning Open Spaces in New Development and Redevelopment
Anton C. Nelessen, Ph.D., Rutgers University
The importance of open space in community planning, with special emphasis on the contribution of these areas to community and neighborhood character.
6. Sustainable Communities Through Open Space Conservation
Robert Pirani, Regional Plan Association
An analysis of the goals and policies of resource management that will allow the permanent use of these resources for future generations.
7. Economic Benefits of Open Space
Stephen Miller, Isleboro Islands Trust
A simple analysis of the economic benefits that open space brings to a community and its individual home owners as an alternative to different forms of development that add to municipal costs and raise taxes.
8. Preserving Open Space Without Raising Constitutional Claims
Lisa Moore, Esq., Environmental Defense Fund
A discussion of the history and present status of laws that relate to such issues as takings, the owner's right to develop, and other issues that pit individual decisions against the general welfare.
9. The Financial Argument for Open Space Preservation
Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC)
A resource paper that provides detailed background and practical methods on the costs of locating development on open space.
Leonard Hamilton, Ph.D.
A step-by-step guide showing how to use municipal and county tax reports and other data to calculate the long-term economic impact of a specific project on the community.
II. Impact of Copperas Ridge Project on Rockaway Taxpayers
Alice Puleo and Leonard W. Hamilton, Ph.D.
A case history of a successful effort to block a housing project based on economic impact.
III. About the Authors