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often fatal to the preservation of undisturbed wild areas. 



On the horizon is the emergence of national land use legislation 

 with sweeping implications. In Congress the National Land Use Policy- 

 Act has passed the Senate and is being considered by the House. 



In essence the question is how we organize, control and 

 coordinate the process of changes so as to protect what we most 

 value in the environmental, cultural and aesthetic characteristics 

 of the land. Consideration is being given to fundamental reforms 

 in the way state governments approach land use controls. Clearly 

 recognized is the fact that states, not just local communities must 

 have the responsibility to control land use decisions. A broad spectrum 

 of controls as well as public land acquisition appears to be the answer 

 to the problem of protection of environmental, cultural and historical 

 amenities. Further, there is growing recognition that private property 

 rights confer obligations that society can define and property owners 

 should respect. 



Conservation and protection of critical environmental areas must 

 be a part of a larger effort to create what we want. In an era of 

 massive change, the task is to maintain a creative balance between 

 the interests of the conservationist and the demands of growth and 

 development . 



