Urban sparwl increases

[Ron Force <rforce@moscow.com>]

>From CNN:

'URBAN SPRAWL' DOUBLED DURING '90S

DECEMBER 7, 1999 WEB POSTED AT: 1:33 PM EST (1833 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- AMERICANS HAVE DOUBLED THE DEVELOPMENT OF FARMLAND,
FORESTS AND OTHER OPEN SPACE DURING THE 1990S, ACCORDING TO A GOVERNMENT
REPORT THAT IS LIKELY TO FUEL THE DEBATE OVER SUBURBAN SPRAWL.

NEARLY 16 MILLION ACRES OF LAND WERE CONVERTED TO DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN
1992 AND 1997 -- A RATE OF 3.2 MILLION PER YEAR, THE AGRICULTURE
DEPARTMENT SAID MONDAY. BETWEEN 1982 AND 1992, THE DEVELOPMENT RATE WAS
1.4 MILLION ACRES A YEAR.

THE DEVELOPMENT HAS DRIVEN UP LAND VALUES, PROVIDING A WINDFALL TO MANY
FARMERS WHO LIVE NEAR CITIES AND CHOOSE TO SELL OUT. BUT CRITICS OF THE
TREND, INCLUDING VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE, SAY THAT IT IS HURTING THE
ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY OF LIVING AROUND THE NATION'S CITIES.

"THESE NEW FIGURES CONFIRM WHAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA ALREADY KNOW
-- TOO MUCH OF OUR PRECIOUS OPEN SPACE IS BEING GOBBLED UP BY SPRAWL,"
SAID GORE, WHO HAS MADE SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT AN ISSUE IN HIS
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. "WE NEED TO HELP COMMUNITIES GROW IN WAYS THAT
WORK."

(story continues at:
http://cnn.com/1999/NATURE/12/07/suburbansprawl.ap/index.html)


--
Ron  Force
rforce@moscow.com
Moscow, Idaho U.S.A.