In 2003, Governor Jeb Bush and Senator Ken Pruitt
assembled The Committee for a Sustainable Treasure Coast (CSTC), comprised of elected officials, governmental agencies, and
community leaders from Indian River, St Lucie and Martin County, to address population growth issues and future planning of
the region.
In April 2006, one of the appointed members who served on CSTCfounded Sustaining
Community Lands (SCL) with the purpose of creating a grass-roots organization dedicated to utilizing the Principles adopted
by the CSTC to complete Action Items included in the Committee’s Final Report relating to Environmental and Rural Lands.
The
SCL Vision
Sustaining Community
Lands envisions a day when:
• Communities decide where and how they will grow based on the nature and
amount of land they must dedicate to Community purposes to assure a healthy environment for both people and wildlife to thrive.
• Communities enact Master Plans under which every development that consumes land also conserves land in perpetuity.
• Community-based, Sustaining Community Land Conservancies with appropriate funding help care for the lands,
give the people who make up Communities a sense of place and inspiration that becomes part of the Community identity, and
educate the people on the value of conserving the lands within their neighborhoods, towns and/or regions.
•
Local economies support strong communities, diverse opportunities for residents, productive working landscapes, and stewardship
of the natural world.
The SCL Approach
By
advocating for conservation, sparking cooperative efforts, and developing broad-based partnerships and cross-boundary cooperation,
Sustaining Community Lands helps create stronger communities with livable neighborhoods, strong economies, and healthy natural
systems.
SCL's Goal
To bring people in Communities together to identify, acquire, manage, and enjoy the lands they need
for a sustainable future and a high quality of life.
SCL's Mission
To help Communities develop
lasting commitments to planning that emphasize the value of permanent conservation and open space and put in place long-term,
Community-wide programs that have dedicated funding sufficient to implement those commitments in perpetuity.
