North Carolina State Economist
July/August 2004
By Dominic P. Parker and Walter N. Thurman
As people become increasingly concerned about the effects of urbanization on their quality of life, the land conservation movement has moved to center stage. Land trusts are key actors in the movement and their influence is rapidly expanding. Almost 1,300 land trusts now operate at state and local levels compared with about 535 in 1984. While the highest concentration of trusts and conserved acreage is found in the Northeast, rapid growth is occurring throughout the country.
Parker is Research Associate at PERC, the Property and Environment Research Center and, Thurman is Professor of Ag. & Resource Econ. at NCSU and Sr. Associate at PERC.