The cooperation between eight counties in the Upper Etowah Watershed and the successful completion of a Draft Upper Etowah Watershed Regional Greenspace Plan has prompted an interest by other local governments and organizations in developing regional greenspace plans. This thesis describes the benefits of greenspace protection and regional greenspace planning; provides a discussion and analysis of the Georgia Greenspace Program; outlines a conceptual framework for forming a regional greenspace plan; and illustrates the framework through the planning process of the Upper Etowah case study. Overall, development of a regional greenspace plan is a complex process that requires an interdisciplinary, interjurisdictional and interactive approach.