No other conservation initiative provides so many ecological, economic, and quality of life benefits to the communities that create them. Greenways not only protect environmentally important lands and native plants and animals, they also link people with the natural world and outdoor recreational opportunities. Greenways can also:

• Help preserve the biological diversity of plant and animal species by maintaining the connections between natural communities.
  
  
• Soften urban and suburban landscapes with ribbons of green that improve the quality of life and enhance property values.
  
  
• Help protect the quantity and quality of water, a natural resource vital to people, plants and wildlife.
  
  
• Direct development and growth away from important natural resource areas.
  
  
• Provide alternative transportation routes that connect people, communities and the countryside.
  
  
• Act as outdoor classrooms.