Building interconnected systems of natural areas and open space. It requires long-term planning and coordination. Few of the examples include land conservation and greenways.

• Land Conservation – Land conservation is one way of preserving interconnected systems of open space that sustain healthy communities. Land conservation projects begin by prioritizing areas of land for acquisition. Land or conservation easements can be bought or acquired through donation
• Greenways: These are corridors of protected open space managed for both conservation and recreation. Greenways often follow rivers or other natural features. They link habitats and provide networks of open space for people to explore and enjoy.
• Wetland Restoration and Protection: Restoring and protecting wetlands can improve water quality and reduce flooding. Healthy wetlands filter, absorb, and slow runoff. Wetlands also sustain healthy ecosystems by recharging groundwater and providing habitat for fish and wildlife.
• Stormwater Parks: Stormwater parks are recreational spaces that are designed to flood during extreme events and to withstand flooding. By storing and treating floodwaters, stormwater parks can reduce flooding elsewhere and improve water quality.
• Bike Trails: Bike trails and nearby greenspace can absorb the impact from flooding. They also reduce the urban heat island effect. Bike trails provide recreational opportunities and connect people to nature.
• Fire Management: Like storms, fires are a natural part of a healthy landscape. Methods like prescribed burns decrease the amount of brush and other fuels. This helps to reduce the severity of fires. You can also use mechanical methods in fire management. Proactively managing land for fire makes humans safer and landscapes healthier.
• Habitat Management: Managing a habitat can help it better absorb flood waters and improve water quality. It also reduces fire risk, prevents erosion
• Setback Levee: Levees provide a vertical barrier against storm surge or river overtopping and a setback moves the levee away from the river or coast. This provides extra space for flood water. Setback levees provide extra flood protection and reduce erosion. They also support healthier and more dynamic river and coastal systems.

manage rainwater where it falls to reduce stormwater runoff. They can often be built into a site or neighborhood without much extra space. Examples include permeable pavement and tree trenches.

• Permeable Pavement: It allows more rainfall to soak into the ground. Common types include pervious concrete, porous asphalt, and interlocking pavers. Permeable pavements are most commonly used for parking lots and roadway shoulders.
• Rain Garden: It is a shallow, vegetated basin that collects and absorbs runoff from rooftops, sidewalks, and streets, these can be added around homes and businesses to reduce and treat stormwater runoff.
• Green Roofs: It reduces runoff by soaking up rainfall, also reduces energy cost for cooling the building built with a planting medium and vegetation. Present in mainly two types: Extensive roofs, which have deeper soil, are more common on commercial buildings. Intensive green roofs, which have shallower soil, are more common on residential buildings.
• Rainwater Harvesting: Rainwater harvesting systems collect and store rainfall for later use. They slow runoff and can reduce the demand for potable water.
• Tree Canopy: These can reduce stormwater runoff by catching rainfall on branches and leaves and increasing evapotranspiration. By keeping neighborhoods cooler in the summer, tree canopy can also reduce the “urban heat island effect.”
• Tree Trenches: A stormwater tree trench is a row of trees planted in an underground infiltration structure made to store and filter stormwater. Tree trenches can be added to streets and parking lots with limited space to manage stormwater.
• Green Streets: Green streets use a suite of green infrastructure practices to manage stormwater runoff and improve water quality. Adding green infrastructure features to a street corridor can also contribute to a safer and more attractive environment for walking and biking.
• Urban Greenspace: Urban greenspace reduces the urban heat island and improves air quality. They can also absorb flood waters to reduce flooding elsewhere. Greenspace also provides more recreational opportunities and beautifies a community.

stabilize the shoreline, reduce erosion and buffer the coast from storm impacts. While many watershed and neighborhood scale practices work in coastal 

• Dunes: Dunes are coastal features made of blown sand. Healthy dunes can serve as a barrier between the water’s edge and inland areas, buffering waves as a first line of defense.
• Coastal wetlands: Coastal wetlands are found along ocean, estuary, or freshwater coastlines. They are often referred to as “sponges” because of their ability to absorb wave energy during storms or normal tide cycles.
• Oyster Reefs: Oysters are often referred to as “ecosystem engineers” because of their tendency to attach to hard surfaces and create large reefs made of thousands of individuals. In addition to offering shelter and food to coastal species, oyster reefs buffer coasts from waves and filter surrounding waters.
• Waterfront Parks: These are designed to flood during extreme events, reducing flooding elsewhere. Waterfront parks can also absorb the impact from tidal or storm flooding and improve water quality.
• Living Shorelines: Living shorelines stabilize a shore by combining living components, such as plants, with structural elements, such as rock or sand. Living shorelines can slow waves, reduce erosion, and protect coastal property.
• Coral Reefs: Coral reefs serve as a natural breakwater. They absorb wave energy and protect the coast from erosion and flooding. Coral reefs support about a quarter of the ocean’s biodiversity. They can also provide recreational opportunities and support local economies.
• Sand Trapping: Sand trapping is a method to make and support coastal dunes. Sand trapping fencing helps to build up the front of a dune. Healthy dunes serve as a natural barrier between the coastline and inland areas. They reduce flooding and provide habitat for coastal animals and plants