Agricultural Land And Related Issues In Florida

Author : Stephen Charles Rhys Lloyd
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 63 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (766 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Is Florida's Growth Management Act Protecting Agricultural Lands? written by Stephen Charles Rhys Lloyd and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 63 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Florida has experienced more population growth over the past half century than any other state, which has led to some of the most extensive urban development on valuable agricultural lands. To address this and other impacts of sprawl, Florida passed the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1985, which among other things required local comprehensive planning and that it be consistent with a state plan of policies and objectives. While the GMA has been the subject of much scrutiny, little empirical research has been conducted specifically in regards to the loss of agricultural lands. Utilizing spatial analytic techniques and historic county comprehensive planning data, I examine the extent to which this growth management policy has been effective at protecting agricultural land. I conclude that the GMA has had a statistically significant and notable impact on the rate and location of urban development on agricultural land. Given wide county differences in effort and rates of conversion, however, it is clear that while the GMA is necessary, it is not sufficient in its current state for the viability of agriculture. A regional strategy with specific goals and objectives for agricultural protection should be defined and eXisting planning mechanisms should be coupled with additional farmland protection tools for the GMA to be more effective in the long-term.