LAND USES 47 



ceeded in an orderly way favorable for agriculture and the entire system of local 

 land utilization. It provides a desirable supplement to local agriculture and has 

 added to rather than detracted from the stability of local farming and better 

 utilization of natural resources. 



On the basis of the fundamental factors, the communities in this group will 

 be found largely in the intermediate class, where various characteristics are 

 present in a moderate degree rather than in extremes. 



In the Berkshire region and the sections adjoining it on the east, the combina- 

 tion is largely agriculture, forestry, and water areas with various recreational uses. 

 In the central part of the State, it is mostly agriculture with part-time farming, 

 industrial, and residential land uses. In the eastern part of the State all these 

 combinations are repeated, strongly influenced by land uses other than agri- 

 cultural, with especial intensity of recreational factors in the vicinity of the 

 coast. 



The presence of more intensive types of land utilization in these towns tends 

 to raise land values somewhat, but not to an extent that is definitely detrimental 

 or prohibitive to agriculture. On the other hand, the town benefits from the 

 existence of diversified sources of assessment which allows a more equitable 

 distribution of the taxes necessary to cover the expense of local government. 

 Without the necessity of paying too high taxes, local agriculture is provided with 

 superior services which are made possible by the economic conditions arising 

 from a high level of utilization of local natural resources. Additional advantages 

 accrue also to the farming population from better local markets provided by the 

 presence of the varied elements in the town population. 



When a desirable balance of various land uses is present in anj' community 

 the main problem is to assure the stability of that condition and to prevent 

 serious disturbance of the existing pattern of land utilization. Such disturbance 

 may take place with the knowledge and encouragement of the local government 

 and people, if they do not sufficiently appreciate the necessity of maintaining 

 the established balance among the existing land uses. Some towns, for instance, 

 go out of their way to attract new industries or to foster the development of 

 residential or intensive types of recreational land uses. Even if the new enterprise 

 is of great benefit to the town at the time of introduction, this does not necessarily 

 mean that it will be beneficial in the long run. As a matter of fact, the experiences 

 of some towns with hastily projected new industries or residential and recreational 

 schemes, clearly indicate the necessity of applying a rigid test to any such under- 

 taking from the standpoint of the influence it may have on the economy of the 

 town and the utilization of its natural resources. 



Some undesirable developments, however, take place in spite of the opposition 

 and resistance of local communities. A case in point is the recent experience of 

 certain communities, especially in the eastern part of the State, with land occu- 

 pancy for part-time farming and residential purposes by the unemployed and 

 other families in distress. In most cases such people have added heavily to local 

 expenditures for social services without contributing anywhere near the equivalent 

 to the town treasury. The results may be disastrous to the town economy and 

 to the established balance in the utilization of local natural resources. The 

 case of these people is a grave social problem to challenge our best effort. It can 

 hardly be left to the responsibility of individual communities with its threat of 

 total disruption of healthy and thriving rural towns. 



