The predictions must be evaluated along with economic, social, and environmental considerations before recommendations for land use and management become valid. Soil surveys are used to appraise potentials and limitations of soils in local areas having a common administrative structure. Planning at this level is sometimes called community planning. Soil surveys also may be used to evaluate soil resources in multicounty or multi-State areas that have problems that cannot be resolved by local political units. Regional planning deals with land use in broad perspective and appraises large areas.
Regional planning is done in less detail than community planning.
Soil surveys and their interpretations for regional planning are correspondingly less detailed and less specific. Soil maps and their interpretations for regional planning must provide graphic presentations of the predominant kinds of soil of similarly large areas. Soil surveys provide basic information about soil resources needed for planning development of new lands or conversion of land to new uses. The use of soil surveys avoids the waste caused by ignorance of soil limitations when major changes of land use are contemplated or when new lands are to be brought into use. Soil survey information is important in planning specific land use and the practices needed to obtain desired results.