Barriers, issues, and solutions to create
functioning wildlife habitat in developing communities

As communities expand, preserving wildlife habitat is dependent on the unique decisions made by policymakers/planners, the design/build professionals, and the public.  While many policies and design considerations have focused on conserving natural habitat, this is only the first step.  How construction occurs on a site, which long-term management strategies are implemented, and whether people that live near wildlife habitat understand how their actions impact wildlife are all critical issues that must be addressed, even if the “perfect design” is on paper.  Across the state, few policies or sustainable development master plans address construction and post-construction phases of a development. In this session, we will discuss some research and real world applications to the challenges of preserving wildlife habitat over the long term.  Three panelists, an urban wildlife specialist, an environmental consultant, and a community conservation manager will give presentations and facilitate a discussion on current barriers and possible solutions to resolve how expanding communities could create “functioning” wildlife habitat.