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Abstract: Open space is disappearing at an alarming rate, and so are the
ecological benefits associated with it including stormwater management, wildlife habitat,
and waste assimilation. If municipalities developed a greater understanding of the
financial value of ecological resources, more open space may be preserved. Using financial
values to assess ecosystems to further conservation at the ... read morelocal level is prudent and could
be more persuasive than saving land simply for aesthetic reasons. In this thesis, the
ecological services being performed on two open space parcels in Stow, Massachusetts were
found to each be worth approximately $738/acre/year to the Town. Based on the study,
landowners who decide to keep their land undeveloped should receive a property tax benefit
similar to GL. c.61A and 61B in order to further promote land conservation within the
Commonwealth and accurately portray the financial value of open space.
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2013.
Submitted to the Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and
Planning.
Advisor: Jon Witten.
Committee: Robert Russell.
Keywords: Natural resource management, and Ecology.read less
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