Masters Theses

Date of Award

3-1982

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Planning

Major

Planning

Major Professor

Kenneth B. Kenney

Committee Members

George B. Bowen, James A. Spencer

Abstract

Recreation-oriented federal resource units such as national parks, forest, and recreation areas often attract private development opportunities at their borders. Federal personnel and land managers responsible for these lands are increasingly being confronted with problems associated with adjacent land development. They are chiefly concerned with impacts of the outside development on resources within federal boundaries. On the other hand, local communities adjacent to these federal lands may experience unplanned and uncontrolled growth and other related impacts from the federal development. The presence of dynamic land use impacts and interrelationships between the federal units and adjacent communities demonstrate a need for coordination with local governments in planning for federal recreation areas.

Although literature research was conducted to explain this land use planning problem, this thesis investigates the problem through a case study of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA) in Virginia and its planning process. The planning process undertaken by the Forest Service, the administering agency for the NRA, was initially intended to be a coordinated one that considered not only the federal lands, but adjacent private lands as well. To study this particular case, interviews were conducted with Forest Service personnel, regional planners, and local government officials. The interviews were constructed to address the steps of the planning process and the actual evaluation of the process was based on particular "coordination elements" within these steps.

This study found that the Forest Service was unsuccessful in adapting its planning program to include "ad jacent lands coordination." Many elements of coordination were either inadeqate or totally absent. The result was widespread dissatisfaction with the planning process and considerable criticism of the Forest Service's proposed plan for the National Recreation Area from local officials and regional planners. In its effort, the Forest Service encountered serious barriers in attempting to provide consideration of private lands and local communities.

This study essentially proposes a coordination strategy that is implemented through the federal agency's planning process. Although responsible for initiating this coordination, the federal agency cannot solely provide the comprehensive planning needed for adjacent lands. Workable intergovernmental approaches between the federal agency and local governments are necessary to confront barriers to coordination and to successfully deal with adjacent land use problems.

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