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Track: Local/State Government, Cadastral, Land Records

James R Oakleaf
Wyoming Water Resources Center
University of Wyoming
PO Box 3067
Laramie, WY 82071


Telephone: 307-766-2735
Fax: 307-766-3785
E-mail: oakleaf@uwyo.edu



Wendy L. Berelson

GIS-A Tool for Private Land Use Planning  Paper Text

Defining Issue: Population growth in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region has created awareness of the ecological importance and intrinsic value of open space. To date, most open space preservation has been addressed through either public land use planning, conservation easements, and/or land acquisitions. Many times these methods are impracticable, unfeasible, and/or greatly restrict the future financial options of a landowner. One avenue currently being explored by Wyoming Open Lands (WOL) is the use of legally binding private land use plans. This type of planning allows for all landowners within an area of mutual interest to equally be involved in the negotiation and development process by addressing and incorporating the needs and concerns of the collective group into their plan. The private plan is strictly dictated by the direction of the landowners, however the overriding goal of this process is to provide landowners with a solution that allows for manageable growth while at the same time protecting open lands. GIS Solution: The Wyoming Water Resources Center (WWRC) at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming Open Lands created and designed a GIS database with accompanying applications that could be used by individual landowners and facilitators throughout all phases of the private planning process. Methodology: The GIS database is made up of five preliminary data layers from which landowners can build upon by developing or requesting additional data. The first application was created to give individual landowners the ability to incorporate their needs and concerns within the database. Usually these testimonials can be translated into spatial regions that they plan to develop and/or wish to protect. Once all the landowners of the collective group have placed their development/protection scenarios within the GIS, then the second application can be used. It overlays all of the individual preferences and displays regions where collaboration is needed. The facilitator can then use this information to aid in negotiations among conflicting parties. If and when a compromise is reached, the changes are placed directly within the database using ArcView. After the planning process is finished, the land use scenario can be mapped and made available to all landowners before incorporating it within the legally binding private land use plan. Software: The GIS database was developed using ArcInfo and the applications were designed using Avenue. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges associated with: (1) how GIS can be used in the private land use planning process and (2) how a GIS application can be designed for, and used by, people with no prior GIS experience.



Copyright 1997 Environmental Systems Research Institute