Land Use & Zoning
Laws for land use in the United States have only recently come into existence, having been developed as late as the early twentieth century. Colonial America had little need for regulations governing the use of land as there seems to be an endless amount of open space, free for development. However, as societies became increasingly centered around urban areas, city governments began to regulate the use of public land in an attempt to control industry, commerce, and housing within city boundaries. New York City adopted the first zoning ordinance in 1916 and most other cities followed suit by the 1930s. The 1970s brought concerns about the preservation of the natural environment and historic sites and structures. Although federal, state, and local governments use statutes to regulate growth and development, most control over land is established by the actions of private developers and individuals. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 are two major federal laws that significantly regulate the use of public land.Land Use and the Environment
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Environmental Quality Improvement Act, Environmental Education Act, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 were passed to insure the protection of the environment from public and private actions that inadequately accounted for effects on the natural environment.
The objective of the EPA is to closely monitor and analyze the state of the natural environment, and to work with state and local governments to develop pollution control policies. NEPA, actually enacted in 1969, is still hailed as one of the most encompassing and far-reaching pieces of environmental legislation ever passed by Congress. It works to force government agencies, when necessary, to consider the effects their decisions might have on the natural environment.
Energy Policy
The predominant belief that there existed an unlimited supply of energy did not encourage the development of a national energy policy in early American history. 1997 and the conception of the Department of Energy brought about a national energy plan. A national plan was intended to provide cheap, dependable energy by promoting and sustaining competitive markets, while also protecting the economic, environmental, and security interests of the nation.
Deregulation of the energy industry, a relatively new shift, attempts to increase market competition to further provide cheap, dependable energy solutions for consumers. Many states now allow consumers to choose their own energy suppliers. The federal government, however, is still involved in these states in regulating the supply of energy.
Using Natural Resources
Natural resource law includes concerns about land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, and water somehow controlled by the United States, any state or local government, or any foreign government.
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