A study was conducted to identify some generally accepted principles and procedures found to be effective and useful in county and area resource development planning. Review of available published and unpublished literature and involvement of a six-member panel of judges permitted identification of nine principles concerning resource development planning: (1) it should be based on local people's interests and needs; (2) it should be based on an adequate number of current, reliable and relevant facts concerning the situation in the area; (3) it should be conceived as including educational work; (4) deciding upon definite area projects is an essential part of the resource development planning process; (5) it should be a continuous process; (6) it should include representative local area participation; (7) it should enlist the aid of all agencies and organizations at the local area level; (8) the approach should be flexible, to permit adaptation to any given county or area; and (9) it should include a definite procedure for evaluation. A bibliography of useful references (books, periodicals, other publications, and unpublished materials) is included. A comparative summary of the inclusion of selected county and area resource development planning principles in the writings of eight resource development authorities is presented in a table. (Author/KM)