Land Use Planning
The District strives to:
-- Strengthen partnerships with municipalities
--Work closely with state and local governments, private industry, watershed groups, and
other concerned citizens to promote the benefits of land use planning
--Support the efforts of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the
Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection to reclaim abandoned mine
lands to ensure public safety and to improve water quality in watersheds that are
adversely impacted by mine drainage
--Continue support of research and develop projects intended to provide better
information to planners dealing with ground water protection, nutrient management,
storm water management, and recreational development such as the Laurel Ridge GIS
Project
--Encourage orderly urban and suburban development
--Encourage the use of the soil survey for land use planning
Use and management of private land changes constantly in response to economic, social, and environmental forces. One way to ensure that these changes are not harmful is to evaluate current land use trends and assess how well the basic natural resources, soil, water, air, plants, and animals are doing.
Good evaluation and assessment enable landowners to use and manage their land within its capabilities.
Land use planning with an emphasis on resource conservation and development can be one of the most beneficial of all conservation practices. The District encourages erosion control and storm water management planning for sound land use planning.