Document Actions
(41) Developing an Outreach Program Aimed at Land Use Regulations & Working Forests
Robert E. Bardon, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, and Brandon A. King, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Session: Concurrent session C1: Assessment Connecting Research and Education
North Carolina is currently the 7th fastest urbanizing state in the nation and has lost over 1 million acres of commercial forest to urban uses from 1982 to 1997. `It is predicted that North Carolina will lose an additional 5.5 million forested acres in the state by 2040. Many mechanisms exist in the state that address the loss of working open space resulting from this growth including conservation easements and farmland preservation programs. However, little information is available concerning local land use regulations, such as zoning, and if they allow for traditional rural land uses such as forestry.
Over three-fourths of all counties in North Carolina have partial or countywide zoning and almost all municipalities enforce zoning ordinances within their planning jurisdictions. While counties are required to exempt bona fide farm uses, which includes timber production, from their zoning ordinances, municipalities in North Carolina have no such requirement. A review of 102 municipal land use regulations has found that forestry is not often provided for in local zoning ordinances.
The disconnect between zoning, and protecting working open space where forestry and farming uses are provided for within a zoning ordinance, has created a need for an outreach program that addresses local land use regulations. The authors discuss the findings in context of developing an extension program to address the disconnect between local regulations and allowing for and protecting working open spaces within planning jurisdictions.
Robert E. Bardon
Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 8008
Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA
Phone: 919.515.5575
Fax: 919.515.6883
Email: robert_bardon@ncsu.edu
Brandon A. King
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 8109
Raleigh, NC, 27695-8109, USA
Phone: 919.515.4670
Fax: 919.515.6268
Email: brandon_king@ncsu.edu