Central Curry Soil & Water Conservation District Land Use Policy Plan
The Central Curry Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD or District) Plan is an executable policy for natural resource management and land use on the lands within the District. It adheres to the legislative purpose of the Soil and Water Conservation District Act and for those measures will serve to conserve and develop the natural resources, provide for flood control, preserve wildlife, protect the tax base and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of this District. It provides a scientifically and culturally sound framework for resource planning objectives. There is an identified need to promote public understanding that land and water are the most important resource within CCSWCD, and that, as such, they must be used in a sustainable way. Emphasis is placed on the need to create “viable” rural working landscapes. It is a dynamic plan.
The Plan is designed to: (1) provide protection for the soil and water resources; (2) facilitate federal agency efforts to seamlessly coordinate joint efforts between federal, state and county land use decisions; and (3) provide strategies and policies for enhancing the conservation, improvement, and management of these resources.
This Plan is not intended to regulate, zone or otherwise reduce private property rights, in as much as this Plan seeks to protect private property rights and customs and culture. Where private property such as water rights, rights-of-way, easements, forage rights, mineral rights, and other property occur within lands administered by federal and state agencies, the Plan may prompt decisions that indirectly affect property rights.
When a species is listed under the Endangered Species Act, there are sweeping consequences for landowners, businesses, and communities near the habitat in question. ESA regulations are incredibly expensive, and a single listing can affect hundreds of thousands of people. So, it’s crucial that the federal government use the best available objective peer-reviewed science to evaluate whether a listing is necessary or if other conservation efforts will be successful.
Federal land decision-making is burdened by an administrative process that needlessly complicates and delays necessary actions. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), for example, was enacted to ensure that environmental affects were taken into account by public decision-makers. Likewise, land use planning under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and the Federal Lands Policy Management Act (FLPMA) attempt to make the process of public land decision-making better informed and more rational. While the intent of such procedural requirements is appropriate, in practice these procedures have become an obstacle and a stumbling block to effective land management.
Federal law, in particular, establishes national policies that focus on national interests, rather than local interests. While federal land use and planning decisions may create benefits for state and national citizens outside of the CCSWCD, they may also transfer a disproportionate amount of the costs and responsibilities to local communities and citizens.
Please see the downloadable version of the Land Use Policy Plan provided below.
