Texas Land Use: A Comprehensive Land Resource Management Study - Report No. Seven: Role of Planning
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Throughout its history, Texas has been blessed with an abundant supply of land and other natural resources capable of sustaining a wide variety of of uses. This heritage has enabled Texas to grow and prosper in a manner characterized by a diversity of human lifestyles, agricultural capabilities, and business interests which are unique to our nation. As the State has grown and developed so has the realization that our land resources are indeed finite. There is a need to study various land resource management techniques which may be useful in Texas to preclude or solve certain land use problems similar to those which have been experienced by older, more densely populated and heavily industrialized sections of the country. The seriousness of these problems has resulted in proposed federal legislation which, among other provisions, would encourage the state and local governments to develop planning and management mechanisms conducive to prudent land use practices. Realizing the importance of these problems and the need for establishing proper land use practices throughout the state, the Governor's Office, through the Division of Planning Coordination, authorized a study of land resource management in Texas. This study is comprised of the following eight technical reports: - Historical Perspective - A survey of historical developments, trends, and processed in land resource management in the State of Texas. - Existing Mechanisms - A survey of the legal bases for existing land resource management activities in Texas. - Problems and Issues - A determination of existing and potential land use problems. - Significant Policies - An identification of existing significant public policies relating to land resource management in Texas. - Needs for the Future - A determination of the relative need for improving the existing approach or approaches to land resource management. - Management Approaches - Consideration of alternative approaches to improve land resource management. - Role of Planning - A study of the role and scope of land use planning as a major ingredient of a continuing land resource management program and as an element in an overall state planning process. - An Informed Public - Development of recommendations in regard to ways by which to best inform the citizens of the State of Texas about the need for a revitalized state and local role in land use planning and land resource management. In this manner, factual information and objective interpretation of issues are presented with the expectation that they will provide a basis for action by those private citizens or public officials who will have the responsibility for making land management decisions in the future.