Customer Reviews

Nature-Friendly Communities: Habitat Protection And Land Use Planning

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Nature-friendly Communities is an important and timely book. Useful to both professional planners and community leaders, these case studies show what is possible, and encourage us all to move in these directions. Very readable, great information.

This is a timely and important book; especially in times that promote big business at the expense of the environment.

The wonderful index is a great aid to the reader.

After my experiences with the Nature-UNfriendliness of Baltimore
County, with regards to being harassed by the county for having
wildflowers and native plants in a Nature-friendly landscape, I
was absolutely shocked to see Baltimore County listed as one of
the top-ten supposedly "Nature-Friendly" communities. Would a
truly Nature-friendly community issue someone a criminal citation
for having "weeds and tall grass," which are wildflowers and
native grasses, growing on one's property? Would a truly
Nature-friendly community have laws stating that all plants which
are allergenic
(as are most plants), all plants that are poisonous (as are many cultivated plants, as well as many native
plants!), any plants subjectively determined to be "weeds"
over a foot tall and any types of grasses over a foot tall,
are illegal? Unfortunately, Baltimore County only appears to be
Nature-friendly as long as one's neighbors have no complaints
about Nature-friendly landscapes and don't telephone code
enforcement to complain about "weeds and tall grass." Of course,
tall decorative grass growing outside of a county office building
is apparently not viewed as a violation of those same laws that
the county's citizens are subjected to.

Although I've telephoned the publisher of this book about the
inclusion of Baltimore County being a mistake, they've yet to
return my telephone call.