Communities across the United States are constantly confronted with difficult decisions about land use. Planning agencies, economic development interests, local conservation organizations, local governments, and households debate and resolve land use policy. Many times, those decisions are made with limited information and with limited knowledge about the environmental and economic impacts of land use changes. This situation becomes even more acute when the effects of climate change are considered.

Even when there is adequate information, decisions are often driven by a lack of financial options for conservation and environmental protection. Traditional land trusts are limited in their financial latitude. Environmental grants and subsidies are a potential aid, but those monies often do not allow communities to meet specific environmental needs.

Five years ago, the University of Rhode Island and EcoAsset Markets, Inc. began a collaborative research project to explore new community-based methods for conservation funding. The project was funded by a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. We were interested in determining the willingness of communities to fund farmland-based conservation practices. The team selected Jamestown, Rhode Island as the experimental site, working with local farmers on hayfield habitat preservation. The market was named the Nature Services Exchange (NSE).

This website reports on that project and analyzes the economic and environmental results.

The success of community-based conservation efforts are very dependent on the enthusiasm, organization, knowledge-base, and management of the community. If households do not have a shared vision and understanding of their communities conservation needs, no amount of marketing will create a successful exchange between conservation funders/investors and conservation service providers.

Because of this critical element, the Nature Services Exchange website also includes a number of teaching units that enable communities to measure and manage their landscape, determine environmental and conservation priorities, and aid conservation minded individuals in building enthusiasm for sustainable economies. These metrics also allow communities to gain insights into the impact of climate change on their landscape and plan for those effects.