Land Use Overview & Information

Land Use from an environmental standpoint encompasses numerous activities and issues. For this website we have divided the Land Use issues into the three most common categories outside of urban areas: 1) agriculture including farming and ranching, 2) minerals including mining and oil and gas exploration and development, and 3) parks and recreation including national and state parks, wilderness areas, national forests, deserts and other open spaces, and recreational activities that typically take place within these areas. Any use of the land has some environmental impact, which often puts people into two opposite camps: those that want to preserve the land from human encroachment, pollution and any environmentally sensitive activities, and those that seek to exploit the land and its resources for its economic value while also maintaining practical standards for environmental compliance.