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Track: K-12 Education and Library Science
Tosca Hoffman
Riveredge Nature Center
PO Box 26
Newburg, WI 53060
Telephone: 414-228-2503
Fax: 414-375-2714
E-mail: tchmann@alpha2.csd.uwh.edu
Eric Fowler, Terrie Cooper, Gary Korb
Land Use Planning Education Project
Building on the foundation established with the highly successful "Testing the Water" project, a "Land Use Planning Education" project is being launched for high school students. The project will involve students, educators, business professionals, and government officials in a collaborative effort to develop student involvement in the process of land use planning through environmental analysis. Students will develop increased competency in problem solving, analysis, communications, ecology, economics, civics, geography, geology, sociology, and language arts. By focusing on land use concerns, this project will broaden the students' perspective of the environment and their responsibilities to it rather than perpetuating views that are victims of "tunnel vision." This project is based on the belief that - Land use planning is essential to balance human population expansion and urban growth to ensure a quality environment for future generations. - Education is a key element in effective land use planning. -
It is imperative that citizens be aware of the relationships between land uses and environmental quality to make informed decisions. Reliable information and data are needed to make sound decisions. - Since many land use planning determinations are made at the local government level, citizen input into the planning process is essential to ensure that land use plans represent the greatest possible agreement among area citizens, are subsequently supported, and address environmental impacts. - Land use decisions must be made on a regional basis, as environmental and other concerns know no political boundaries. To address the critical need of educating future environmental decision makers about the important role of developing and implementing a comprehensive land use plan in Southeastern Wisconsin, Riveredge Nature Center, the University of Wisconsin Extension, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission have joined forces to develop an educational program
for high school students. Very few schools around the United States have attempted to develop a land use project like this.
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