Development of an online resource of land use regulations impacting forestry

Abstract

ABSTRACT

King, Brandon. Master of Forestry. Development of an online resource of land use regulations impacting forestry.

Between 2004 and 2006, North Carolina moved from the ninth to seventh fastest growing state in the United States. Research over the past 20 years reveals an increase in local ordinances as areas increase in population size and become more urbanized – and that there has been an increase in ordinances across the Southeast, which can impact forestry practices. Landowners may be unaware of ordinances that impact forestry practices, or how to obtain more information about them. However, ordinance violations can result in substantial fines or penalties and can restrict the ability of a landowner to develop his or her land in the future. Beginning in 2004, a project website was developed to provide information on tree protection and other county and municipal land use ordinances, such as zoning, to non-industrial private forest landowners (NIPF) in North Carolina. Local ordinances were identified from research conducted over a six-year period and ordinance information was posted on a project website developed to assist NIPF landowners in finding regulatory information. Described herein are the methods used for the project research, including sources of ordinance data, and website development.