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Land Use/Land Cover Change in Somerset County from 1986
to 2002
This project represents an analysis of the change in land use patterns that
are occurring in Somerset County during the sixteen-year period from 1986 to
2002. The Geographic Information System (GIS) data used for this project was
provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It
is comprised of DEP’s 1986, 1995-97 and 2002 Land Use/Land Cover Datasets,
which were digitized by DEP from aerial photography. The data is organized
into 6 broad categories for the purpose of analysis: Agriculture, Barren
Land, Forest, Urban, Water and Wetlands as defined below. The results of the
analysis are illustrated on 6 maps (one for each category), each of which is
accompanied by a table that summarizes the data for each municipality and
countywide. The maps compare data for each of the three time intervals
(1986, 1995-97 and 2002), and are helpful for visualizing where changes are
occurring, the type of changes that are taking place, and their magnitude.
The tables provide municipal and countywide data on total acres, absolute
and percentage change for each land use category for each time period.
This information is valuable for both county and municipal planning and
policy-making. It highlights significant land use trends and is a valuable
tool for evaluating progress in meeting municipal and regional smart growth
and conservation goals. For example, this project will be integrated into
the Somerset County Natural and Cultural Resource Inventory currently
underway by the County Planning Board, and will be an important resource for
completing the County’s Smart Growth Strategic Plan. At the municipal level,
it can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of local zoning ordinances in
accomplishing municipal master plan goals, and the consistency of land use
patterns with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan during the Plan
Endorsement Process.
Significant changes can be seen throughout the county, especially in the
Agricultural Land and Urban (developed) Land categories. Agricultural Land
has lost 36%(17,038) of its total land area since 1986, while Urban
(developed) Land has seen an increase of 27%(17,359) over the same span.
Bridgewater has seen the largest loss of Agricultural Land, in terms of
percentage, with a 70% decrease, but Montgomery lost the most in terms of
total acreage (close to 4,000). The largest gain in Urban (developed) Land
is seen in Montgomery Township, which increased by 73%, or 3,500 acres,
during this sixteen-year study period.
Two good quality, readable versions of the map are provided in PDF format
herein (black & white and color), sized for 8 ½” x 11” paper, which will
allow copies to be produced from most standard computer printers.
Land Use Category Definitions:
Agriculture: All land used primarily for the production of food and
fiber (examples include: cropland, pastureland, orchards)
Barren Land: Land that has almost none or no vegetation in a
non-urban setting (examples include: beaches, un-vegetated dunes, bare rock
faces)
Forest: Any land covered by woody vegetation (examples include:
deciduous, coniferous, brush land)
Urban: Land that has been altered by human activities (examples
include: residential, industrial, transportation, recreational land)
Wetlands: Land that is saturated enough to sustain vegetation that is
specifically adapted to thrive in waterlogged soils (examples include:
saline marshes, freshwater tidal marshes, non-tidal marshes). Please note,
discrepancies in NJDEP’s wetlands data limited to a few municipalities
relative to the ’95-’97 land use/land cover dataset were observed by the
Somerset County Planning Board staff.
For more information about how this project was prepared and can be
utilized, please contact the Somerset County Planning Board, 20 Grove
Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876, phone (908) 231-7021, fax (908)
707-1749, email
PlanningBd@co.somerset.nj.us. Electronic copies in PDF and ArcGIS format
are available by contacting this office.
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