Open spaces in the coastal zone of New York and Connecticut are disappearing at an alarming rate. By 1965, Connecticut alone had lost half of its native tidal marsh lands (Niering and Warren, 1980), with that trend continuing until the passage of protective legislation in the 1970's. Other vital components of the coastal zone such as upland forests and riverine systems have also been severely affected by development. Changes have led to declines in water quality, habitat degradation and fragmentation of the natural landscape leading to a decay in the ecosystem process that binds together the Long Island Sound basin. A Bi-State Open Space Initiative will be able to address these problems from a cumulative, regional standpoint while focusing on the primary goal of acquisition, preservation and restoration of critical open space areas.....This project will support Sea Grant's ongoing mission of protecting the nation's coastal areas as well as with implementation of the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan for Long Island Sound. While this project will not define any one particular strategy, funding mechanism or legal mandate, it will provide a framework to assist in understanding how open space designation can be coordinated across multiple jurisdictions.