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<br />., <br /> <br />SPECIAL REPORT <br /> <br />00 <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />A SUMMARY OF FEDERAL LAND USE PROPOSALS <br /> <br />The major land use proposals of the 92nd Congress are summarized below. <br />are expected to be introduced in similar form in the new Congress. Included <br />bills relating to national land use policy, public lands, power plant siting <br />surface mine reclamation. <br /> <br />Most <br />are <br />and <br /> <br />Comprehensive land use planning affecting most of the land in the United States <br />is included in the first three bills. The two Jackson bills deal separately with <br />Federal and non-Federal lands. The Aspinall bill combines the two and offers a <br />different approach to the management of Federal lands. <br /> <br />LAND USE POLICY AND PLANNING ASSISTANCE ACT <br /> <br />Sponsor: Sen. Henry M. Jackson (D-Wash.), Interior Committee Chairman, and <br />13 others (S 632). Backed by Nixon Administration. <br />Current Status: (Passed Senate last September 60-12.) Reintroduced Jan. 9 in <br />same form. Hearings tentatively scheduled for early February. <br />General Approach: Would provide grants, administered by Interior Department, <br />to assist states to develop and implement procedures to plan for critical areas dnd <br />large-scale development. <br />State Role: Within three years of enactment, each state would be required to <br />develop planning procedures including: inventories of land and resources; compila- <br />tion of economic, environmental and demographic data; projections of the nature <br />and quantity of land needed and suitable for various physical and social facilities; <br />methods for identifying critical areas, key facilities and large-scale development; <br />public hearings; and designation of a land use planning agency with primary <br />authority. <br />Within five years of enactment, states would be required to develop a program <br />of methods to regulate: areas of critical environmental concern, including natural <br />water systems, prime agricultural land, rare or unstable ecosystems; areas impacted <br />by key facilities, such as airports, major highway interchanges, recreational <br />facilities, major energy-providing facilities; proposed large-scale development <br />of more than local significance in environmental impact; development and land use <br />of regional benefit which may be unreasonably restricted or excluded by local <br />regulations such as low-income housing, major industrial sites and waste-processing <br />plants; and large-scale subdivisions. <br />Federal Role: The bill would establish (1) An Office of Land Use Policy <br />Administration in the Interior Department -- with a Presidentially appointed Direc- <br />tor -- to determine, as a condition for further grants after five years, that the <br />state has not excluded nationally significant areas of critical environmental <br />concern, is demonstrating good-faith efforts to implement its program and is <br />coordinating its program with Federal and lucal planning. (2) A National Advisory <br />Board on Land Use Planning to assist the administrative office in reviewing state <br />programs, with the Board including representatives from Federal departments and <br />agencies with programs affecting land and energy development. <br />Local Role: Municipal zoning and planning powers would be unchanged, except in <br />cases of critical areas, key facilities and large-scale development, where local <br />functions will be coordinated with state planning. Generally accepted estimate is <br />that local powers would retain authority in 90 percent or more of planning decisions. <br /> <br />7 <br />