The Effectiveness of Municipal Comprehensive Planning in Mitigating Forest Fragmentation

Abstract

To mitigate forest fragmentation, it is critical to investigate the factors that contribute to it. Considerable research examines various factors shaping forest fragmentation, but these studies have not typically identified land use planning as an important factor. Our study helps fill this gap in the literature. To examine the influence of land use planning on forest fragmentation, we assessed the quality of 29 municipal comprehensive plans with respect to forest protection in Wisconsin, U.S.A., a sample drawn from a spatial analysis of forest fragmentation dynamics from 2001 to 2011. We found that the comprehensive plans of communities that have experienced lower-than-expected forest fragmentation change were, on average, of significantly higher quality than those of the communities that have experienced higher-than-expected forest fragmentation change during this period. We conclude that the quality of community-based comprehensive plans, especially the strength and breadth of policies addressing forestland, matters in mitigating the fragmentation of forestland.