Where Does This Road Lead?

by Sybil Kolon

Early evening — early summer — driving along a short stretch of narrow, winding highway in the Irish Hills. A sign says: “one lane road ahead.” We slow down, there are no people or cars. Orange cones mark the double yellow line. My attention shifts to the natural landscape on either side of the road - open woods with big trees, nicely maintained, but no “improvements.” It suddenly dawns on me that this is part of the state park near my home.

Within a mile or two are gas stations, party stores, tourist attractions and lakeside streets lined with cottages and homes. And also a public beach, picnic areas, ball fields, camping and boat access for people who live near and far away. I am grateful that this piece of lakeside real estate will continue to offer a window to nature for anyone who drives by, or wants to stop and explore.

I have the feeling that more of our rural areas deserve similar protection, and that soon it will be too late to stem the tide of market forces that threaten to devour them. The carving up of properties into smaller and smaller pieces is as natural as carving up a pie. We can make more pie, but not more land. The forces of demand cannot increase the supply of land, only the price. With our economy booming, people with money can justify moving up and out.

The American dream now often includes moving into a new house, or maybe two or three, in a lifetime. Eventually farmers and others with large land holdings, or their children, will give in to the pressure to sell, so they too can pursue their dreams.

There are voluntary ways to preserve natural features and farmland, but the good will and good fortune of a few is not going to be enough to change current trends. Legislation and zoning can be improved, but even that, I fear, will not be enough. A land owner has the right to sell or develop land for any use allowed by local zoning and other regulations that protect public health and safety. Unless a property is specifically protected, the option of development will be there. Zoning and legislation are subject to change.

My gut feeling tells me that our ability to achieve significant resource protection is directly proportional to funding available for such protection. If the citizens of a township, county or the state truly want specific areas to remain rural and natural, then the citizens and their leaders must find a way to guarantee it. Money will be required.

Land trusts like the RVLT can play a role, but we can’t do it by ourselves. We need to work with cooperative governments, other groups and landowners. We need community leaders who aren’t afraid to suggest that government has an important role to play in securing our future quality of life.

There are several forums coming up which will allow local residents input into how our future develops (see box on this page). Each process will be unique and will allow individuals to express their views. These are opportunities to get involved before another development proposal comes to the table. By that time it’s often too late. Active citizen participation is needed if there is any hope to guide future development in a direction that minimizes negative impacts on the quality of life of current and future residents.

There is no absolute solution to the problem. We cannot turn all natural lands into parks. We cannot make farmers keep farming. We cannot keep people from seeking serenity by moving out of the cities and suburbs. But we can work to increase the options and incentives for preserving natural resources.

We need to adopt sustainable land use practices. We need to increase our awareness of how our lifestyles shape the landscape. Each community needs to recognize and preserve the features that make each one appealing and distinct. Many steps need to be taken at the state level to cut out subsidies that serve to continue the trends that are consuming the areas we all cherish. We need to find a way to get past the stereotypical reactions that we are all prone to when the subject of urban sprawl comes up. We need to talk and listen and strive to find enough common ground to allow us to act, with significant resource protection as a result. That’s something we can all live with.

Contents

Design by Kenny King.