A land information system for soil erosion control planning

IN 1982 Wisconsin's legislature took note of the continuing depletion of soil resources and nonpoint-source pollution of state waters and revised the state statute on soil and water conservation. The intent of the legislation was to establish soil conservation goals and standards; to provide for cost-sharing and technical assistance; to coordinate local, state, and federal conservation efforts; to create county land conservation committees (LCCs); to create a soil erosion control planning process; and to enable counties to enact erosion control ordinances where necessary. The LCCs were charged with creating soil erosion control plans that do all of the following: ▸ Specify maximum acceptable rates of soil erosion. ▸ Identify ownership and location of parcels where soil erosion standards are not being met. ▸ Identify the land use changes or management practices that would bring each area of land into compliance with standards adopted by the LCC. ▸ Specify procedures to be used to assist landowners and land wrs in controlling soil erosion. ▸ Establish priorities for controlling soil erosion. In Dane County, a leading agricultural county in south central Wisconsin, the local LCC entered into a contractual arrangement with university researchers (Land Information and Computer Graphics …