“Smart Growth” a smart choice for our lakes

Released 5/15/05 (Contact Tami Jackson lakeinfo @ wisconsinlakes.org)

The quality of our lakes is dependent on the health of their watersheds. Nothing has a more profound effect on our lakes than the decisions we make on how we use the land that surrounds them. Planning helps guide future decisions to preserve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and lakefront property values.

Local citizens, who best know their lakes and lake issues, must be part of land use planning decisions. Maintaining the right to an open planning process guarantees that the citizens who live on, use, and enjoy our lakes will help determine their future.

"Communities that have implemented or finished the Smart Growth process have found that it benefits everyone," says WAL Executive Director Peter Murray. "Good planning ensures that there is certainty about where and how development can be implemented to serve the needs of growth while protecting our natural resources."

The 1999 Comprehensive Planning law, commonly referred to as "Smart Growth," requires Wisconsin communities to create long range land use plans by 2010. Smart Growth was created and is supported by many groups including farmers, local governments, realtors, builders, and riparian property owners.

The goal of Smart Growth is to have citizens determine how they want to their communities to grow. Comprehensive planning is an important tool that can help protect property values for landowners, lower costs for municipal services, and preserve special places for future generations.

This popular and successful law enables local governments to make locally based land use decisions about the best ways for them to grow into the future. These plans allow communities to decide where growth occurs, where treasured resources will be protected, and better plan for the cost effective delivery of services like sewer, water and schools. The law requires that the voices of private property owners and the public be heard in the plan creation process.

“Smart Growth” planning is a smart option for planning the future of our lakes.