The mission of the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) is to provide information and assistance to land use decision makers and other audiences in support of better land use decisions, healthier natural resources, and more resilient communities. CLEAR is a partnership between the Department of Extension and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, two units of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), and the Connecticut Sea Grant College Program. CLEAR research, outreach and training programs address the overlapping issues of water management, land use planning, climate resiliency, geospatial (mapping) technology, and STEM education. CLEAR receives foundational support from CAHNR and CT Sea Grant, obtaining the rest (about half) of our support through state, federal and private grants. CLEAR efforts related to flooding include two of the Center’s programs. The national award-winning NEMO Program focuses on the relationship of water resource protection to land use planning and management, with a particular focus on stormwater management through the use of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (also known as Low Impact Development). The UConn Climate Corps is an initiative that combines classroom instruction, service learning, and Extension outreach to develop trained teams of undergraduates that work with Connecticut towns on resilience-related projects.
