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Geographic Information System (GIS)

1. A geographic information system (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. [www.gis.com]

Geothermal Energy

1. Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy that harnesses heat from the Earth for heating applications and electricity generation; geothermal plants can operate around the clock to provide significant uninterrupted “base load” electricity, or the minimum amount a power utility must provide to its customers. [source: http://www.energy.gov]

Gift in Fee Simple

1. Transfer of a property by deeding it directly to a charitable organization for conservation or other purposes. Tax benefits may apply to the donor. [source: Land Conservation Strategies: Resource Protection Glossary of Terms, Heritage Conservancy, http://www.heritageconservancy.org]

Global Positioning System-GPS

1. Tecnhology that signals from at least three satelites to determine a users location. With the addition of computing power and stored data (such as road maps and topographic information), GPS receivers can calculate location, speed, and time information into a useful display format.

Grantee

1. The party who receives title to real property (buyer, recipient, donee) from the seller (grantor) by grant deed or quit claim deed. Also known as a holder.

Grantor

1. The party who transfers title in real property (seller, giver) to another (buyer, recipient, grantee) by grant deed or quit claim deed.

Greenbelt

1. Continuous land (a “belt” of land), comprised of parks, green space, farmland and other open spaces surrounding a town or city

Green Corridor

1. A band of vegetation, usually older forest, which serves to connect distinct sections of a wildlife habitat and allows for the passage of wildlife from one area to another. Also known as Wildlife Corridor. [Source: Land Conservation Strategies: Resource Protection Glossary of Terms, Heritage Conservancy, http://www.heritageconservancy.org]

Green Infrastructure

1. Green infrastructure is strategically planned and managed networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces that conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated benefits to human populations. [source: http://www.greeninfrastructure.net]

Greenway

1. Greenways are corridors of land recognized for their ability to connect people and places together. These ribbons of open space are located within linear corridors that are either natural, such as rivers and streams, or manmade, such as abandoned railroad beds and utility corridors. Greenways, as vegetated buffers protect natural habitats, improve water quality and reduce the impacts of flooding in floodplain areas. Most greenways contain trails, which enhance existing recreational opportunities, provide routes for alternative transportation, and improve the overall quality of life in an area. [source: http://www.greenways.com]

Groundwater

1. Water that is found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. Groundwater is stored in--and moves slowly through--layers of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. Aquifers typically consist of gravel, sand, sandstone, or fractured rock, like limestone. These materials are permeable because they have large connected spaces that allow water to flow through. The speed at which groundwater flows depends on the size of the spaces in the soil or rock and how well the spaces are connected. [source: http://www.groundwater.org]