THE FARM LANDSCAPE 311 



ROBERT L. PERKINS, Jr. The Chairman's remarks referred to a 

 pond damaged by silt washed in from a housing development. Since 

 many such developments get Federal assistance in the form of mort- 

 gage guarantees one method of protecting the landscape would be to 

 require that proper steps to reduce silt run-off and other damage 

 outside a subdivision be taken in order to make the development 

 eligible for Federal participation. Possibly a way could be found 

 to bring in soil conservation personnel at the subdivision stage. 



In general, a workable system is needed for the regional coordina- 

 tion of the many Federal activities affecting the landscape. This 

 would include hopefully, the coordination of all Federal programs 

 with the objective, recognized by this conference, of protecting and 

 enhancing the appearance and quality of the environment. To 

 handle conflicts in Federal and federally supported projects a regional 

 evaluation system might be set up aimed at providing an orderly 

 resolution of conflicts in the process of which all resource values 

 get appropriate consideration. 



A number of other suggestions follow : A way is needed to retain 

 some of the natural and semi-natural landscape features of rural 

 lands being transformed into urban or suburban communities. 

 Changes in Federal housing activities and regulations might be made 

 to help produce an incentive for local approval of cluster develop- 

 ments or at least some form of density zoning which, with appropri- 

 ate site planning, would permit leaving features such as steep slopes 

 and stream valleys unbuilt upon. A combination of restrictions, 

 incentives and more flexible building codes should be sought to 

 permit the actual buildings ( commercial, housing and public ) to be 

 more closely adapted to the existing landscape. Better limits and 

 controls are needed for earth moving, since it produces about the 

 most long lasting and widespread landscape blots. More attention 

 should be given to the suitability of land for development, partic- 

 ularly soil and water conditions, in determining eligibility for FHA 

 and VA mortgages. 



Our present system which leaves zoning and planning authority 

 largely in the hands of local government in most of the country, is 

 outmoded by changes in density and our way of living. Much neces- 

 sary zoning and planning cannot be handled at the local level. 

 Leaving all this power in the hands of local government often reduces 

 the freedom it is aimed at protecting. Poorly informed or motivated 

 local officials often make sweeping decisions which have a marked 

 effect on large numbers outside the jurisdiction where the decision 



