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The legislature hereby finds and declares that: 1. Strong local government has been a major positive factor in the political, economic and social development of the state; 2. The future welfare of the state depends in large measure on the effectiveness of local government and of its relationships to state government; 3. Population shifts and other economic and social trends have brought new problems to local government; 4. The state has the responsibility toward local government to coordinate state services and information for the benefit of local government, to assist in the solution of its problems, and otherwise to help local government in making itself as strong and effective as possible; 5. The need for a more rational planning process requires a high degree of local, state and interstate cooperation; 6. The need for a single state agency to review and comment on local planning efforts of statewide significance, state agency planning and interstate planning commission programs is recognized; 7. A common data base developed by the official state planning agency in conjunction with planning efforts at all levels of government is essential to

tate planning commission programs is recognized; 7. A common data base developed by the official state planning agency in conjunction with planning efforts at all levels of government is essential to effective planning; and 8. State planning and development policies should promote planning programs among state agencies and between levels of government that maximize environmental and economic benefits to the localities.