OCR Text |
Show CHAPTER G - REGIONAL COMPREHENSIVE FRAMEWORK PROGRAM PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS The foremost consideration in long-range planning for the Lower Colorado Region is the development of a framework within which future developments will provide the water that is so crucial not only to the preservation of the present level of development, but also to future growth. Equally important to the satisfaction of the socio-economic needs is the protection, preservation, and enhancement of the Region's resources such as land, water, minerals, wildlife, wildernesses, recreation, archeological, historic, and esthetic values, livestock forage, timber, and other resources. The development of such a comprehensive framework program requires that a proper balance be established between all segments of the program to minimize detrimental impacts. To ascertain the best combination of programs, consideration of all practicable alternatives is necessary and many optional mixes of these should be examined. Comprehensive planning on this scale should not be unduly influenced by cost considerations because even though some environmental aspects elude monetary evaluation, they are equally important to components that can be readily and accurately evaluated. More specific concepts, assumptions, constraints, and guidelines have been previously discussed in the introductory chapter of this report. Estimated costs for the framework program developed herein are presented in the Summary of Findings. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM Because of time limitations, it was not possible in this study report to examine, in detail, as many of the potential alternatives as desirable. Many alternatives were considered and some are recommended for future studies. The recommended program stems from the reasoned judgments of experienced planners in many disciplines participating in the study. 89 |