Purpose

A complete understanding of the priorities of the states in the Gulf Coast Region (GCR) is critical to ensure that land conservation planning efforts are implemented effectively and efficiently. With the help of the Conservation Planning Inventory Tool (CIT), past, current, and future land conservation priorities in the GCR can be explored to inform strategic planning efforts. This inventory catalogs an extensive list of projects and plans proposed and implemented at federal, state, county, and city levels in the GCR with direct ties to land conservation during the past 20 years. Comprehensive restoration goals proposed by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration (RESTORE) Council were used as a framework for grouping priorities within conservation plans and projects. Plans were first compiled via internet searches and expert sources, then a series of eight stakeholder charrettes were held across the GCR states to validate the catalog, add missing projects and plans, and refine stakeholder priorities for land conservation. A geospatial web tool was developed using the RESTORE Council goal framework to allow for the identification and exploration of plans in the GCR.