Sieve Mapping and Conservation Development

I recently learned about the land planning method called "sieve mapping." Seems like a great tool for conservation development! The basic method is to create a series of overlay maps ruling out certain areas for development based a variety of environmental criteria including wetlands, mountain peaks, migration paths, agricultural land, etc. Whatever land is not ruled out through this process becomes developable.

Then instead of creating large private lots, smaller lots are created leaving the conservation area as untouched, shared open space. Combined with conservation easements, this can preserve the amenities of the landscape for future generations while making it appropriately available to users today. You can go one step further by determining building envelopes on those lots to ensure building happens in places to preserve views and avoid erosion, etc.

This tool even works economically: the value of the smaller lots is disproportionately large due to the value of being permanently adjacent to such wonderful conservation land. People don't need to worry about the "neighborhood" being destroyed through unscrupulous development in the future! It protects land values today and tomorrow. That's worth a lot to people.

I would like to see this tool used at various scales to guide development. It should be used at the state and regional levels to guide growth to appropriate areas. It should be used around towns, and even in tows where open space still exists.

At the state level, one could even add in an analysis of the sustainable carrying capacity for development. For example, how much building materials can be sustainably generated in the state? How much productive farmland is available? Based on limits like these, the overall sustainable development could be calculated and then steered to the appropriate areas.

This kind of planning would take us several big steps forward to a sustainable future.

For information on sieve mapping and its use with conservation easements and conservation development see Saving the Ranch by Anthony Anella and John Wright.