Author: Jonathan Thompson

A 2022 report from Highstead in Redding, CT, explores how New England’s forests are important climate solutions and explores five pathways to increase forests’ impact. New England’s forests are an underrated asset in the fight against climate change, already sequestering the equivalent of 14 percent of carbon emissions across the six states and capable of much more. Through five complementary strategies, forests could sequester 21 percent of carbon emissions while also enhancing critical co-benefits such as cleaner air and water, greater recreational opportunities, and jobs.

A 2-page summary of the report, Does Land Conservation Raise Property Taxes? Evidence from New England Cities and Towns. The report assesses the economic impacts of land conservation throughout New England municipalities and communities over 15 years.

Land protection, whether public or private, is often controversial at the local level because residents worry about lost economic activity. Overall, this research provides novel evidence that land protection can be compatible with local economic growth and illustrate a method that can be broadly applied to assess the net economic impacts of protection