1. Become more involved in your local government’s decision making. Urge your local board or council to adopt policies that will:
   • Encourage compact developments in areas with existing services like utilities, roads, and schools
   • Preserve open spaces and farmland. Call your clerk to find out when Planning Commission meetings are held. Be sure to get an agenda for the meeting you will attend and raise concerns about water quality.
2. Get involved in the master plan revision process. If your community is updating its master plan, public participation and/or public comment must be solicited.
3. Comment on possible zoning ordinance amendments. Zoning ordinance amendments require time for public participation and comment. Many communities have established citizen groups that help them identify ordinances and ordinance amendments to improve their land use planning decisions. Offer to participate in or start such a group in your community.
4. Comment on specific developments during a site plan review session. Voice concerns you may have about the development’s impact on wetlands and other natural features in your community. Encourage designs that use land efficiently and employ effective ways to treat water runoff.
5. Check out HRWC’s library. It houses a variety of model ordinances and other tools.
6. Join the monthly "Land Use for a Healthy Watershed" Resource/Discussion group or sign up for the Citizen's Guide to Land Use Planning course when it is next available. Contact Suzy Morse at suzymo@earthlink.net (put "Land Use" in subject line of email) or call 734/768-5123 x17 for information.
7. Learn about land use and water quality issues on the Community Information System CD. Then, present the issues (and the CD) to your local planning commission, board, or organization. HRWC has training materials available. Information on the CD is available on the HRWC Resources webpage.
8. Encourage your community or organization to perform the methodology described in the Guidebook, "How Much Development is Too Much?" about determining responsible development in rural areas. Learn about the issues yourself from the Guidebook. The Guidebook can be downloaded from the HRWC Research webpage.

Last Updated: December 2005