Rural land use and land cover change : Implications for local planning in the River Raisin watershed

This research addresses land use and land cover change and the policies that relate to that change in a Midwestern (USA) watershed. Changes in land use/cover over 20 years were studied, with a primary focus on changing forest cover and its distribution. The hypothesis at the outset was that as urbanized area increased and agricultural area decreased, forested areas would decline. Local land use policies were studied for their impact on changing forest cover. Analyses of land use/cover in the watershed show a significant increase in forest cover, simultaneous with decreased agriculture and increased urban use. However, local land use planning measures for protecting forest and open space land were found to be negligible throughout the watershed. Land use planning at the watershed level is analyzed and a stronger authority at this level is recommended.