Re: Urban sparwl increases

[Bob Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

At 11:37 AM 12/09/1999 -0500, WMSteed@aol.com wrote:

>In a message dated 12/8/99 11:06:40 AM, rforce@moscow.com writes:
>
><< 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. >>
>
>According to my data, the United States is comprised of 2,315,817,600 acres.
>Therefore, 16 million acres converted in five years is 69 hundredths of one
>percent, or 138 thousandths of one per cent per year.

Now localize those numbers to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, etc. 
(subtracting the huge and frigid land mass of Alaska, vast protected areas 
of Western states, etc.), and the cause for alarm becomes 
obvious.  Northern Ohio, which used to have many beautiful farms and 
forests, is quickly becoming a huge suburb, from Pennsylvania to 
Indiana.  This is caused by people lured to the edge of the woods (Ah, 
Wilderness!) so they can "live in the country," just to find themselves 
surrounded by the next subdivision.  The cost of maintaining the far-flung 
utilities & services for the far-flung populations mean a higher tax burden 
for us all.

When talking about invasive species (plants & animals from far-flung 
corners of the globe that gobble up native areas & resources), a member of 
the Nature Conservancy noted that Ohio's most damaging invasive species was 
the single-family home.  No other noxious, agressive weed destroyed more 
habitat.



Bob Hoffmann
229 East C St., Suite B
Moscow, ID  83843  USA
Phone: (208) 883-0642
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http://www.alt-escape.com