Often times, communities talk about the need to save green space for generations to come, but when push comes to shove it’s a lot easier to build and profit than it is to save and preserve. That is why the recent decision by Clarence residents and activists should be commended.

In one of Erie County’s fastest-growing suburbs, large parcels containing hundreds of acres of land are being preserved.

A program called Greenprint has sparked the preservation of a 119.5-acre parcel that sits next to a 180-acre parcel the town already owns and where farming will continue. The site is in the vicinity of Greiner and Salt roads and constitutes the meshing of two worlds: the one in which fields, woods, streams and farmland have existed and will be respected and the demanding one that represents development.

The Greenprint project, which stands only with the Rochester suburban area of Pittsford, is a unique effort. The Regional Framework for Growth, a vision for how the Buffalo Niagara region can grow over the next 15 years, stresses protection of natural resources of farming and land, but getting buy-in can be a challenge. There are many cost-savings from protecting open land in reduced infrastructure, but it takes more than just saying it’s the right thing to do.

Clarence residents have been more proactive in getting the work done by voting overwhelmingly in November 2002 to approve a $12.5 million bond authorization to fund protection of open space. This represents local people using their dollars to make something happen that they care about —and it’s not just farmland protection but also natural land protection.

The town plans to use the money to purchase land and extinguish development rights on targeted land throughout the community. Those who wish to keep their land of 10 acres or more will preserve their rights.

The Greiner-Salt roads parcel will be the 10th project for Greenprint, operated by the town’s Recreation Advisory Committee and the Western New York Land Conservancy. The coalition has saved an impressive 614 acres and Greenprint has spent roughly $3.1 million, which includes the latest project.

Communities need to take a very careful look at preservation of green space, and Clarence has taken a major step as a model for both the region and state.