Prepared by T.C. Richmond, Duncan Greene, Travis Greenwalt, and Gretchen Greene

Pursuant to SHB 1957 (2009), this report evaluates and compares eight land preservation mechanisms based on their ability to achieve conservation goals, their cost, their ability to respond to future changes, and several other criteria selected to highlight the practical advantages and disadvantages of each mechanism.

The report provides a framework for comparing these eight mechanisms under the influences of legal, practical, and economic circumstances. The construction of this framework led to several general conclusions about the benefits and risks of land preservation mechanisms. The report uses a hypothetical case study to illustrate how the report‟s framework and conclusions can be used to select land preservation mechanisms under particular circumstances.

We summarize the report's analytical framework and our conclusions below.

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This document was originally produced for the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, pursuant to SHB 1957 (2009). The entire document can be accessed here.