ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the major planning responses, actual and proposed, for the conservation of rural land resources. North American society is today faced with a variety of difficult choices in the use of its agricultural land resources. These land resources are valued for more than their productive capabilities, particularly in the vicinity of urban areas. The major question to be answered is how effective are the strategies for dealing with different types and degrees of uncertainty in the use of agricultural land resources. There are both technological/informational and regulatory ways in which society can manage uncertainty with respect to agricultural land resources. Risk-aversion approaches are commonly associated with conservation of land resources and with the ethical concern that succeeding generations will be no worse off than present generations. Efficient allocation of resources over time, so that society derives the maximum benefit from their use, is an important and worthwhile goal.
