The Legislative Assembly finds that:

(1) Long-range planning for population and employment growth by local governments can offer greater certainty for:

(a) The agricultural and forest industries, by offering long-term protection of large blocks of land with the characteristics necessary to maintain their viability; and

(b) Commerce, other industries, other private landowners and providers of public services, by determining the more and less likely locations of future expansion of urban growth boundaries and urban development.

(2) State planning laws must support and facilitate long-range planning to provide this greater certainty. [Formerly 195.139]