to realize that our land Is finite, 

 while our population is growing. 

 The uses to which our generation 

 puts the land can either expand or 

 seriously limit the choices our 

 children will have. The time has 

 come when we must accept the idea 

 that none of us has a right to 

 abuse the land, and that on the 

 contrary society as a whole has a 

 legitimate Interest in proper 

 land use. There is a national 

 interest in effective land use 

 planning all across the nation." 



Recently, several attempts have 

 been made at the national level to 

 Introduce legislation establishing 

 National Land Use Policy. One such 

 proposal by Senator Jackson of the 

 State of Washington attempts to do 

 just that. His proposal states in 

 part: 



"...while the primary respon- 

 sibility and constitutional authority 

 for land use planning authority for 

 land use planning and management of 

 nonfederal lands rests with state and 

 local governments under our system. 

 It is increasingly evident that the 

 manner in which this responsibility is 

 exercised has a fremendous influence 

 upon the utility, the value, and the 

 future of public domain lands, the 

 national parks, forests, seashores, 

 recreation and wiJderness areas, and 

 other federal lands; that the interest 

 of the public in state and local 

 decisions affecting these areas 

 extends to the citizens of all states; 

 and that the failure to plan and, in 

 some cases, poor land use planning at 

 the state and local level pose 

 serious problems of broad, national, 

 regional and public concern and often 

 result in irreparable damage to 

 commonly owned assets of great 

 national importance..." 



This appears to be an attempt to 

 substitute federal action for the 

 vacuum that exists locally In land use 

 planning. Some provisions in Senator 

 Jackson's proposal calls for compre- 

 hensive land use planning on a state 

 basts. 



Most states in the Union have now 

 passed enabling legislation which per- 

 mits zoning for land use although such 

 zoning Is quite limited in practice as 

 of this writing. 



Citizens of Montana have the 

 authority through local government to 

 plan for and decide the best use of 

 land and related resources to meet 

 their needs and those of the land. 



Some important points to consider 

 In land use planning appear to be 

 va 1 1 d : 



1. Planning should be based on land 

 capability with adequate soils 

 survey and inventory information. 



2. Plans should prepare for orderly 

 growth and prudent use of the 

 land. 



3. Our best agricultural lands should 

 be reserved for food production. 



4. The concept of multiple use of 

 land as contrasted to single 

 purpose use should be considered 

 to the greatest extent possible. 



5. Lands economically unsuitable 

 for crop and timber production 

 should be converted to a less 

 intensive use. 



6. Consideration of various grant- 

 in-aid tax credit and cost- 

 share programs including appro- 

 priate incentives to prevent 

 damage and pollution of land- 

 scapes, soil, air, and water, 



7. Private and public lands should 

 be used and conserved in a 

 system where protection of either 

 does not jeopardize the other 

 through over use or erosion. 



8. A continuing program of 

 scientific study, research, 

 efficient use, in balance with 

 present and future needs is 

 essential to good planning. 

 The needs for economic growth, 

 social welfare and a quality 

 environment should be kept in 

 mind. 



9. Because we are affluent we 

 have the opportunity to plan 

 for and give order to the use 

 of our land and its related 

 resources of air and water 



to provide maximum benefit 

 to people and other inhabitants 

 of the land. City and county 

 planning commissioners have 

 much to gain from cooperation 

 with conservation districts. 

 Conservation districts have a 

 ioog history of land use 

 planning based on sound in- 

 ventory data. They have 

 access to sound technical 

 assistance. They can involve 

 people of diverse points of 

 view In land use planning. They 

 know the value of conmunlty effort 

 in comprehensive planning. They 

 have seen the results of land 

 abuse where land treatment was 

 inadequate. They have access to 

 resources needed to Imp lenient 

 land use plans. 



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