Excerpts from Words Matter, editorial by Ed McMahon, Vice President of Land Use Programs at The Conservation Fund. Full editorial appears in the January-March 2003 edition of Common Ground.
Today the economy is lagging and budgets are tight. Open space funding is on the chopping block. This is because the public and local officials think open space is a luxury they can no longer afford. They think of it as an amenity, something that is nice to have. However, the same people understand that infrastructure is a necessity, not an amenity; something that communities must have, not just something that is nice to have...
We view infrastructure as a primary public investment, not something we pay for with leftover money. Likewise, public officials understand that infrastructure must be constantly upgraded and maintained. It is not something we just buy and forget. Finally, we all know that infrastructure must be developed as a system, not as isolated parts. One way to change this perception of open space as an amenity is to change the nomenclature...
A popular bumper stickers says “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” Well, if you think green space is expensive, just imagine the future costs for clean air, clean water and healthy natural systems if we don’t invest in green infrastructure today.
The Green Infrastructure Community of Practice is a collaborative network of organizations and agencies that are actively involved in the strategic green infrastructure approach to conservation and environmental protection or restoration. Learn more>
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