IS LOCALLY LED CONSERVATION PLANNING WORKING - A FARM TOWN CASE-STUDY

A qualitative case study of a rural Illinois community whose water sup ply has been compromised by a farm chemical is used to highlight the s ocial, cultural, and economic factors that shape locally led planning efforts of a type now being advocated by natural resources governmenta l agencies. The paper answers the question: why did the central Illino is watershed planning effort craft a cooperative rather than a conflic tual solution? Trust of and attachment to farmers, both evidence of so cial capital, helped community members to balance economic, social and health risks. The balance arrived at created a tacit mandate for a fa rmer-led planning committee to solve the atrazine problem in a way acc eptable to farmers and townspeople. The cooperative solution represent s a consensus: concerns remain, but people are willing to support the plan. Consensus also demonstrates that planning as a positive action c an create new social capital, which can support further planning.