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What Is A Greenway?
Greenways are open space corridors, which are protected from development, and
which link nature preserves, parks, historic features, and ecosystems. They may
be publicly or privately owned and may have trails for recreation or
transportation. Some greenways do not have trails and are managed for the
conservation of native plants and wildlife. Besides protecting habitat and
offering recreational opportunities, greenways improve air and water quality,
mitigate flood damage, modify extreme temperatures, and support tourism.
For more information on greenways visit the following websites:
OHIO GREENWAYS
www.ohiogreenways.org/
Phone: 303-657-2055
TRAILS AND GREENWAYS CLEARINGHOUSE
www.trailsandgreenways.org
Phone 1-877GRNWAYS
Email: greenways@transact.org
Terms Commonly Associated with Greenways
CONSERVATION EASEMENT: a legal binding agreement/easement designed to exclude
certain activities on private land, such as commercial development or residential
subdivisions. Its main purpose is to conserve natural or man-made resources on the
land. It usually describes the resource it is designed to protect (e.g., farm,
forest, historic, or open space easements). It runs with the property deed for a
specified time or in perpetuity.
CONSEQUENCES OF SPRAWL: traffic congestion; longer commutes that steal time from
family and work; worsening air and water pollution; loss of farmland, open fields,
forests, and wetland; increased flooding; raised taxes to pay for services (police
and fire departments) and infrastructure (new schools, roads, water, and sewer).
EASEMENT: a permit granting the holder (e.g., government entity, land trust,
corporate entity, utility, mining company) certain rights regarding the land for
specified purposes while the ownership of the land remains with the private land
owner. An easement involves the exchange of one or more of the land ownership rights
from the land owner to someone who does not own the land.
GRANTS: parcels of public or private monies given to land trusts and other
non-profit organizations for the purpose of carrying out their proposed purchases.
LAND OWNERSHIP RIGHTS: the “bundle of rights” associated with the ownership
of a parcel of land. These rights include the right to possess, occupy, use, mine,
modify, develop, lease, or sell the land.
LAND TRUST: a non-profit (501c3) organization funded by membership dues,
donations, or grants; the main goal of which is to purchase, transfer, or receive
donated conservation easements. Land trusts may partner with public agencies (e.g.,
park districts) holding easements.
SPRAWL: low-density development beyond the edge of service and employment, which
separates where people live from where they shop, work, recreate, and educate –
thus requiring cars to move between zones.
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