Implementing the principles of ecosystem management through local land use planning

While ecosystem approaches to management focus on broad spatial scales, decision makers increasingly recognize that implementation must occur at the local level with local land use decisions. This article examines the ability of local comprehensive plans in Florida to incorporate the principles of ecosystem management. It seeks to understand how comprehensive plans can effectively contribute to the management of ecological systems by systematically evaluating local plans against a conceptual model of what makes for a high quality ecosystem plan. Results measure the relative strengths and weaknesses of local plans to achieve the objectives of ecosystem management and provide direction on how communities can improve their environmental frameworks.