Land Use Data: Needs and Sources

Decisions are based on information. Information is the result of an analytical process or system that uses data as an input. Land use information systems require data of three basic types: land use, land capability, and landownership. Each of these types requires a classification system based on relevant characteristics to provide specifications for data and organize it for use in information systems. Geographic breakdown is also an important dimension of land use data. The traditional sources of land use data have been the Censuses of Agriculture and Population, the Forest Survey, the National Inventory of Soil and Water Conservation Needs (CNI), crop acreage reports of the Statistical Reporting Service, the major land use series of the Economic Research Service, and reports and records of the Bureau of Land Management, Park Service, Forest Service, and other governmental agencies that hold and manage land. The Land Inventory and Monitoring Program (LIM) of the Soil Conservation Service, the Land Use Data and Analysis Program (LUDA) of the U.S. Geological Survey, and other new and emerging sources of data are discussed.