This report focuses on techniques, procedures, and data sources for studying whether land in fast-growth counties is shifting from rural to urban uses: This focus outlines the best elements for conducting the national land ugg' analysis which began in 1986 and will continue beyond 1988. The national study, being conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, is using aerial photography, a stratified systematic random sample design, and the U.S. Geological Survey land classification system. These methods and procedures were chosen from the alternatives discussed in this report.