Policy Objectives:

• Growth should be kept within the limits of the resources.
• Communities, in order to be well-balanced, should be encouraged to include a broad range of age, income, and racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Economic development should provide jobs needed by county residents, and should upgrade and revitalize existing areas.
• Transportation and other facilities should fit within the established land use plan with higher densities kept along major transportation routes.
• Local governments should assume responsibility for evaluating geological and environmental hazards, including climate change, for informing the public of such hazards, and for providing protection.
• Areas of unique natural resources should be maintained in uses which would preserve them.
• Open space has a value of its own and should not be viewed as a holding zone for future development.
• Appropriate uses of open space areas are agriculture, forestry, limited recreation, and low-density clustered housing, provided these uses are carefully controlled and preserve the scenic beauty.
• Tax relief should be provided for property owners in open space areas.

Planning Objectives:

• Full and consistent use should be made of the adopted plan.
• The plan should be fully implemented by keeping zoning in conformity with the plan, by utilizing a long-range capital improvement program, and by other means to carry out its policies.
• Procedures for regular and orderly review of the plan should be established.
• Coordination of interjurisdictional planning efforts, especially for unincorporated areas, should be encouraged.
• Implementation of the plan requires full funding and support of the planning function.

Citizen Participation Objectives:

• Information on policies and plans should be made available to the public.
• Opportunities for citizen participation should be encouraged within the policy-making structure.

(See also the LWVC and the LWVUS positions.)