Protecting and managing private farmland and public greenways in the urban fringe

This study explores the premise that privately-owned land is vital for meeting recreation and greenway demands in urban areas. A case study in the Great Meadows of the Connecticut River in the Hartford, Connecticut metropolitan area is used to illustrate the challenges in promoting recreational access and open space preservation in a privately-owned farming and riparian landscape. The study included a survey of local landowners to determine their attitudes toward land protection, public access, and collaborative planning, as well as interviews with stakeholder groups from a local land trust and sporting clubs. The results of the study showed that many landowners did allow recreation on their land, particularly hunting and fishing. However, access was often limited to members of local sporting clubs, family members and neighboring farmers. Landowner concerns about allowing widespread public access to this farming area included vandalism to crops and interruption of farm operations. Recommendations are discussed for developing partnerships with private landowners, including working with existing recreation and conservation organizations and increasing the role of local farmers in greenway and other land use planning decisions.