The National Survey of County Open Space Protection Efforts, a research effort of the National Center for the Study of Counties, is the first attempt to look at the issue of loss of open space at the county level. Loss of open space is a growing concern among both citizens and local government officials. Conversion of land to residential, commercial, and industrial uses is outpacing efforts in many communities to preserve some of these lands as open space. While many studies have been conducted on state-level programs to protect open space, little is known about what is happening in this area at the county level.

Faculty and staff at the Institute, in cooperation with the National Association of Counties, developed and disseminated a mail- and Web-based survey, the preliminary findings of which are presented in this report, which suggests that counties are engaged in open space protection activities that involve multiple types of lands and a breadth of protection tools and funding resources.

Report: County Open Space Protection Efforts: A Survey of the Current State of Open-Space Protection Efforts by America's Counties