# Surveying and decision-making tools

### <mark style="color:orange;">**Get basic information on a plot**</mark>&#x20;

If you are organising a field survey or land watch action with volunteers, you can use the example below to create a basic land questionnaire for your surveyors to fill out.&#x20;

#### <img src="https://3134868106-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fu7BfbdUPQRQnaeyaIU5f%2Fuploads%2FRNtLZ30ctiRx7oZL6zvG%2Ftdl_step.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9931f06d-2f12-4fcf-9cbc-435e3f798199" alt="" data-size="line">**Summary sheet: realising a basic diagnosis of a plot (source: Terre de Liens Île-de-France)**

| Summary sheet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <p>Date of the meeting</p><p>Location</p><p>Editor of the form (last name-first name-telephone)</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| <p><strong>Context of the land opportunity</strong>: </p><p>Background and description of the opportunity: </p><ul><li>Is there a farmer currently farming this land? If so, how is it being farmed?</li><li>What are the owner's intentions (sell, lease, loan, keep as is...)</li><li>Is there a development project that threatens this opportunity?</li></ul>                                                                                                                                                           |
| <p><strong>Cadaster reference of the plots:</strong> </p><p>Section - n° of the plot - area (ha or acre) - zoning - owner</p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| <p><strong>Immediate observations</strong></p><ul><li>Land configuration (divided, in one piece...): </li><li>State of the parcels (cultivated, fallow\...)</li><li>Historical use of the parcels</li><li>Observations of the soil (texture, color, presence of stones, compaction, depth, slope, geology)</li><li>Access to the plots</li><li>Access to water for irrigation (groundwater, surface water)</li><li>Fences </li><li>Ecological infrastructure (hedges, trees, low walls)</li></ul>                           |
| <p><strong>Buildings</strong></p><ul><li>Type (agricultural only or housing)</li><li>Number, square meters</li><li>Access to networks (water, electricity...)</li><li>State of the building/Important work done or to be planned</li></ul>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| <p><strong>Plans and aerial photos</strong><br><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/kQQU_1sKALjcvymHLIdCBAJ_VVPvBQvaGj5UIugD2aV5Od-Il5c1HGrrt3B3ZH4AITox0_FxJRY9W5vatCghr3ZwNS8WVaY0CLMpjhAJUurl58GbBYkx4FsurjV2jeVfc3sbTP_tBqPkSys1dJ0c8vg" alt=""></p>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| <p><strong>Socioeconomic environment</strong></p><ul><li>Demographics </li><li>Existence of CSA or short supply retailers in the area </li><li>Other: community groups, elected official likely to encourage the establishment of a farm, etc.</li></ul><p><strong>Natural or environmenal designation</strong></p><ul><li>Natura 2000, Park, Other?</li></ul><p><strong>Water zoning</strong> </p><ul><li>Water catchment, innudation risk, other…</li></ul><p><strong>Other observations and analysis</strong></p><p></p> |

### <mark style="color:orange;">**Select projects to prioritise on public land**</mark>&#x20;

Establishing criteria to decide to whom to lease out public land to is a key step. Below is a table for inspiration. The clearer your goals, the easier it will be to adapt criteria and scoring.

#### <img src="https://3134868106-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fu7BfbdUPQRQnaeyaIU5f%2Fuploads%2FRNtLZ30ctiRx7oZL6zvG%2Ftdl_step.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9931f06d-2f12-4fcf-9cbc-435e3f798199" alt="" data-size="line">**Example of selection criteria to award public land** (sourced and adapted from: [Agrarwende konkrete. Wie wir die landnutzungglokal umgestalten](http://finc.de/oeffentliches-land-gestalten-agrarwende-konkret.html?file=files/Dokumente/AgrarWende_Konkret_2020_FINC.pdf). Concrete agricultural turnaround. How we transform land use locally.)

<table><thead><tr><th width="421">Criteria</th><th>Score</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Organic farming (2 as a baseline, additional points for specifically regenerative techniques - permaculture, etc.)</td><td>2-4 points</td></tr><tr><td>Grazing livestock/extensive grassland</td><td>1 point</td></tr><tr><td>Nature conservation measures/agro-environmental measures</td><td>1-3 points</td></tr><tr><td>Nb of people paid a living wage (one per person, up to 3 or 4)</td><td>1-3 points</td></tr><tr><td>Young farmers/new entrants</td><td>1 point</td></tr><tr><td>Solidarity farming</td><td>1 point</td></tr><tr><td>Regional marketing and value creation</td><td>1 point</td></tr><tr><td>Educational opportunities and inclusion</td><td>1 point</td></tr></tbody></table>

&#x20;                                 *Maximum number of points achievable: 12-15 points*<br>

### <mark style="color:orange;">**Decide what to do with public land plots**</mark>&#x20;

Deciding on what use to make of the land identified through your surveys can be easier if you have developed clear tools, approved by elected officials and different departments within your local authority.&#x20;

Below you will find an example of logic diagram developed by the city of Charleroi in Belgium to guide their decision-making processes regarding the use of specific plots. Charleroi’s issue is around the rehabilitation of polluted land (as the city’s economy has long relied on coal and steel industry). Once the plots have been inventoried, the logic diagram serves as a prioritising tool to decide on which parcels to act first. <br>

<figure><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FxO-zGd7WOzzm-Yww_ojQ9sr-IiLDDaqZYbhqLyF5VouEsXxTxo3DwIo3OVpBQvdk3J6a2t4HO3XghXOmANakxZtUCq7qkiKWoi6voJW2dgdCAOzfw_-Dwk9LHjQqsrxan1kduu7a4AcJK64DYuKdL0" alt="Logic diagram developed by Charleroi to decide on use of identified public lands"><figcaption><p>Logic diagram developed by Charleroi to decide on use of public lands</p></figcaption></figure>