State Legislation for Better Land Use

Excerpts from the report Foreword: At the State level, work is now proceeding in a variety of vital categories of land use. in the course of the last decade, a number of States have pioneered the field of rural zoning. Others have been engaged in definition of rights under their water laws. More recently, a new instrument of local initiative, to carry out measures of soil and water conservation, has been provided for the farmers of most States in the soil conservation district. Since the property tax on farm land is the main source of support of the various units of government in rural areas, interest in good land use and interest in local government structure have increased together. In some of the States where statutes fostering good land use are now on the books, alteration, redefinition, or expansion of their purpose is under consideration. In other States, where no laws are now in effect on some of the topics just mentioned, public interest in one or more of these problems has reached a stage where legislative action seems imminent. This report has been prepared in response to that interest. In each of its chapters, available material is analyzed in the same order, answering the questions: What are the outlines of the problem that has led the citizens of certain areas to take action through government? What are the main provisions of the statutes so far adopted? What considerations pertaining to policy, constitutionality, administrative efficiency, does this experience show to be pertinent to the drafting of a satisfactory statute?