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YOU ARE HERE: www.marionswcd.org >
planning >
What is Conservation Planning?
Conservation Planning is a comprehensive plan
for your land unit or parcel that identifies natural resource problems and
conservation solutions to address those problems. The
planning
process involves a nine step process. Many good solutions to common
resource problems have been developed over the years and are incorporated
in Best Management Practices (BMP's).
Why Should I Develop a Conservation Plan?
An organized conservation plan will provide a roadmap of resource
development opportunities over the next five to ten year period for your
land. This will reduce the probability of making short-term
decisions that may conflict with your long-term goal for your property.
Is a Conservation Plan Required?
No! The choice to develop a conservation plan is yours - It is
voluntary.
How Can a Conservation Plan Help?
The unique approach to conservation planning enables
land users to identify and address multiple natural resource requirements
simultaneously, while facilitating a viable and sustainable operation.
Conservation planning seeks to protect the natural resource base from
further degradation, improve the economics of whatever land use operation
is being used, while working to enhance the environmental quality of the
property to the fullest extent possible.
Conservation Planning and other resource tools can help you to select
appropriate conservation practices (Best Management Plans, or BMP's) that
satisfy regulatory requirements for government agencies while helping make
land use management choices provide a sustainable operation for the
property.
Conservation planning activities were initially started by the US
Department of Agriculture in rural areas to assist landowners make
decisions about their farming operations. Since those early
beginnings, it was found that conservation planning can assist any land
user or landowner with any land use, make land management decisions for a
parcel of land and improve their options of alternative choices in making
wise land use management decisions.
For example developing a plan has advantages in rural areas helping
landowners meet certain government agency assistance program requirements,
such as the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Programs (EQIP), which
requires an approved conservation plan before cost-share assistance can be
provided. A plan will also help you to meet your demands for
sustainable land use.
How do I start the Conservation Planning Process on my Site?
If you are interested in developing a conservation plan for your
particular unit of land, be it, a community, farm, subdivision, factory,
park, home site, etc. contact the Marion County Soil and Water
Conservation District and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
at 6960 S. Gray Rd., Suite C, Indianapolis, IN 46237 or Phone us at :
317-786-1776 or Fax us at: 317-786-1757. We are ready to help
you start your conservation planning activities.
Check out the related conservation planning web links below for more
information
Community Level or Areawide Conservation Planning
NRCS natural resource
problem assessment (at the national level)
National Resource Inventory (NRI) web site
Smart Growth America Web Site
(for community level planning issues)
Smart Growth
Online Website ( for community level planning
issues)
Indiana State Level Community Planning
Indiana Land Use
Consortium Land Use Principles
(for community level planning)
Purdue Land Use Team Topics (for community level
planning
Purdue
Land Use Publications
General Conservation Planning
Indiana NRCS Conservation Planning Information
(General)
USDA-NRCS
Conservation Planning Information (General)
Home Level Conservation Planning
Home-A-Syst (primarily for
home site conservation planning)
Farm Level Conservation Planning
Farm-A-Syst (primarily for farm conservation
planning)
Idaho
OnePlan Conservation Planner (primarily for farm
conservation planning)
Aerial Photo Maps for about anywhere in Indiana are
available from
Indiana
Maps on the web at:
http://www.in.gov/igic/projects/indianamap/index.html
Soils Maps for about anywhere in the United States
are available
from the
Web Soil Survey on
the web at::
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/
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