GreenPRO news

Today I ran across a term I’d never heard of before — “greenprint”. It’s a play on the word “blueprint”, albeit from a green angle. I discovered it while perusing the site for Blue Earth County, MN — see “Blue Earth County, MN Creating a Greenprint for Tomorrow“.

According to the Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network,

Greenprinting is the term used by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) for a smart growth strategy that ensures quality of life, clean air and water, recreational opportunities, and local economic health. TPL’s 2003 publication “Local Greenprinting for Growth” is a four-volume workbook for guiding communities as they create a greenprint conservation program. The four volumes, each about 35 pages long, are titled:

* Using Land Conservation to Guide Growth and Preserve the Character of our Communities.

* Defining a Conservation Vision (includes creating dialogue among civic, business, and local government leaders).

* Securing Conservation Funds (exploring federal, state, and private funding sources, partnerships, and incentives; researching local fiscal alternatives and needs; and designing public opinion polling and public financing ballot measures).

* Acquiring and Managing Park and Conservation Land

Published in partnership with the National Association of Counties, these guides are available for purchase or free downloading at the web site below. The volumes are $15 each or the whole set may be purchased for $40. To download or purchase, search for “Local Greenprinting for Growth” using the search function on the left menu or click directly on http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=10648&folder_id=175

~Trey, GreenPRO Senior Researcher~