It's a question of what you want 

 your area to be like tomorrow 



(Continued from page 1) 



passed the Coastal Area Management Act in April, 1974. Since July 

 of last year, counties and municipalities, aided by their citizens, have 

 worked to draw up local land use plans which the law requires. In 

 brief, the plans identify the major land use issues facing an area and 

 set forth objectives to help guide future growth based on current land 

 uses and the ability of natural resources to support different types of 

 development. 



On November 23, those local plans were submitted to the Coastal 

 Resources Commission (CRC), the state agency charged with imple- 

 menting the Act, for review. In January, the CRC will return the 

 plans for another round of citizen review. Local governments must 

 adopt their plans by May 21 and return them to the CRC for the 

 final approval that is needed before they are put into effect. 



Whether a plan is approved depends largely on how much citizen 

 participation goes into them. So between January and May, your 

 voice will count. 



Sure, you say. They want me to get involved. But how? I don't 

 understand all those high-falutin' words that planners and govern- 

 ment types use, you tell yourself. If I don't understand, how can I 

 speak out? 



The people in charge of getting coastal management rolling know 

 how you feel. And they're trying to help you get on the inside of the 

 planning process. 



Under guidelines of the CRC, local governments are to write a 

 synopsis, or summary, of their land use plans in non-technical lan- 

 guage. It is to be distributed widely among local citizens. 



The synopsis will give you an overview of land use problems 

 that are important in your county or town. It will state the goals and 

 objectives for future land use in your area and tell you how and why 

 those goals were determined. From the synopsis, you'll be able to 

 learn how lands came to be used as they are and how much develop- 

 ment available natural resources can tolerate without being threat- 

 ened. You'll be given information on how population growth in your 

 area might put new demands on services like water and sewer. 



Along with the synopsis will be a list of proposed areas of environ- 

 mental concern, areas in which development should be carefully 

 watched in order to conserve resources. An accompanying map of 

 your county or town will indicate which lands will be used for high 

 or low density development, which will be maintained for rural 

 activities such as farming and which should be conserved for their 

 environmental value or because development there would be unsafe. 



If you don't get a copy of your local government's synopsis, or if 

 you disagree with what you find in it, you should get on the phone 

 to your county or town planning board. In some areas citizen 

 advisory committees have been set up. These are another channel 

 for your thoughts. And any questions — or answers — about the 

 Coastal Area Management Act or land use planning will be heard 

 if you call The Coast Line collect at (919) 829-2293 during business 

 hours. 



During the coming months, there will be opportunities to find 

 out what's happening in the state's coastal zone, to have a part in 

 shaping its future. But it's up to the individual to get informed and 

 get involved. It's a chance for the individual to turn the tables and 

 tell his government how to run things. 



Look for a synopsis, or 

 summary, of your town's 

 or county's land use plan 

 during January and Feb- 

 ruary. In non-technical 

 language, it will tell you 

 about land use problems 

 that are important in your 

 area and will state goals 

 for land use. It will ex- 

 plain how these goals 

 were determined. 



The synopsis isn'tfinal. 

 You have until mid-May 

 to make your thoughts on 

 the plan known. It's a 

 good chance to have a 

 voice in your future. 



If you don't see the 

 synopsis and if you have 

 something to say about it 

 — whether in agreement 

 or disagreement — let 

 your county planning 

 board know. Or call The 

 Coast Line at (919) 829- 

 2293 collect during office 

 hours. 



