This mission will be accomplished through the provision of research, information, education, and decision-making assistance. Open space issues that may be considered by the research group include: agricultural sustainability, community planning and development, recreation and tourism, wildlife, and other related cultural, economic and environmental issues of importance to Wyoming. This work plan summarizes some of these tasks.

So what is open space? The U.S. Department of Energy on their Smart Communities Network web site defines it as "An area of natural landscape essentially undeveloped, such as ridges, streams, natural shorelines, scenic buffer areas, and agricultural lands."

To help inform the debate, we are compiling a library of existing data and information regarding open space, including articles, books, videos, digital data, terminology, and references. Our goal is to make this material available to anyone who needs it. We will place as much of this information as possible on our web site.

We are in the process of assessing Wyoming and neighboring states’ land use laws, regulations, ordinances, and visioning exercises. The purpose of this research is to determine a baseline of where the state currently is in terms of open space and land use issues, and where we should concentrate our efforts in the future.

Another task is the implementation of various tools for analysis. We are using geographic information systems, and the Community-Viz^TM software suite. Community Viz^TM aids communities in their visioning and planning efforts.

We are in the process of researching a number of topics for publication. Once complete, the publications are available on this web site (under the "Content" tab) or in print through our main office (see the "Research Group" tab). Some of our research topics include:

• Cost of Community Services for Rural Residential Development in Wyoming
• An Introduction to Sprawl
• The Role of Private Lands in Big Game Habitat
• Conservation Easements and Land Trusts: An Introductory Review for Wyoming
• Public Funding Mechanisms for Open Space Protection: An Introduction for Wyoming
• The Role of Agriculture in Maintaining Open Spaces in Wyoming

In addition to our publications, we are also producing a video. The purpose of this project is to provide an introduction to open space and land use issues in Wyoming. Our hope is that this video can give communities an introduction to the topic, and stimulate discussion among audience participants as the first step in facilitating a productive discussion on open space and land use. The video will incorporate information from our group’s research into a balanced narrative, which reflects the many opinions relating to open space. Most viewers should relate to the stories told, and be inspired that they can influence land use in their communities. Ultimately, this is the goal of all our research and outreach efforts.