ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book argued that strong local level environmental and natural resource decision-making is essential for the long term management of ecological systems. While ecosystem approaches to management tend to focus on broad spatial scales, the principles and practices underlying these approaches must be implemented through local plans and planning processes. By offering a baseline with which to evaluate the effectiveness of plans and their implementation, the book can help planners throughout Florida and elsewhere recognize when and where there is a break-down in planning effectiveness from the original plan design. The analytical techniques and results presented throughout the book offer insights to planning academics and practitioners on how to integrate proactive planning levers into local policy frameworks. It also shows how to take an adaptive approach to management where communities can adjust policies based on updated information.
