A New Report Series
State of the States is series of reports being developed by Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities (WWF&C) to examine specific topics that will help state leaders and policy makers understand and assess the ways that each state in New England is approaching land conservation and planning, natural resource management, and climate resilience. With local, state, and federal efforts to support nature’s vital role as a climate solution, coupled with an historic housing crisis and new trajectories for regional population growth and development, significant resources and effort are being mobilized to expand conservation programs, address competing land use priorities, and build environmental justice into decision making frameworks in a meaningful way.
Each of the six New England states faces different challenges and brings different resources and perspectives to bear. WWF&C has mapped out a potential future for New England’s landscape, with land use and conservation goals that can accommodate the diverse, complex, and pressing needs of our region. Our hope is that these reports will help state leaders and policy makers learn from one another and provide a broader, regional perspective for their work. Sign up below to be notified when new reports are available.
Upcoming Report Topics
- Current Use Programs in New England: A Six-State Policy Analysis (Timing: Q1 of 2025)
- How do New England states structure their Current Use programs? How much land is enrolled/withdrawn in Current Use programs across the region? Does the state have any data to suggest that enrollment in Current Use leads to permanent land protection?
- Conservation Funding in New England (Timing: 2025)
- How much state funding is allocated to conservation on an annual basis? How is that funding generated? Do specific types of conservation work have dedicated funding mechanisms? What are the trends in federal allocations for land protection programs?
- Land-Use Policy: Conversion and Loss of Forests and Farmland (Timing: 2025)
- How much forest is being lost in each New England state? How much Farmland? Do the states have explicit goals towards reducing these losses? What policies have been enacted to support these goals? Are there indicators of success?
