Davidson County Ecological Conservation Strategy

A holistic, 18-month planning study provides a toolkit for an ecologically diverse county to protect its unique natural and cultural character for decades to come.

Davidson County, Tennessee, is in one of the fastest‐growing metro regions of the country. Home to Nashville, the county includes diverse topography and unique natural features that are at increased risk due to rapid development. There is widespread desire to balance sustainable growth with preservation of the region’s unique forests, wetlands, and other natural systems that provide a myriad of benefits to the community. To shape a future in which the Cumberland River watershed, its associated ecosystems, and the communities who rely on them can thrive while preserving the county’s distinctive charm and heritage, Metro Planning launched the Ecological Conservation Strategy (ECS).

Biohabitats led the development of the ECS, which included an integrated engagement process that gave community members and local leaders meaningful opportunities to provide their feedback and insights into the county’s ecological heritage. The project also included a robust discovery and analysis phase. Geospatial analysis provided a foundational understanding of the county’s existing ecological conditions, future constraints and impacts, and trends in projected population growth, equity and infrastructure needs, and the impacts of climate change. Informed by the analysis, Biohabitats created a comprehensive conservation strategy toolkit, complete with recommended steps to enhance environmental equity and resiliency.

The final ECS included priorities for ecological conservation, balanced approaches to updated policy and programmatic recommendations, and funding considerations. It also included pilot studies that examined two critical life-supporting ecosystems in the area: the Highland Rim Forest in western Davidson County and the Cumberland River waterfront that flows through downtown Nashville. The conservation toolkit will guide and support future steps towards protecting and enhancing the resilience of the county’s living systems and the community’s connections to these natural areas.

TAGS

• Analysis+Planning
• Design
• Climate Adaptation + Resilience
• Conservation