| The governor of Maryland embraced fundamental Smart Growth legislation in the late 1990s after receiving a report that detailed the loss of farmland in the state. According to the report, if Maryland continued to sprawl at its current rate, all of its farmland would be gone in thirty years.
Connecticut is confronting the same situation. With more than 22,000 farms following World War II, Connecticut is now down to 4,200. As the state that is losing farmland at a faster rate than any other, Connecticut has only 360,000 acres of farmland left, barely 11 percent of its total land base. We are losing approximately 10,000 acrea of farmland a year -- you do the math. |
| Smart growth uses the term "open space" broadly to mean natural areas both in and surrounding localities that provide important community space, habitat for plants and animals, recreational opportunities, farm land (working lands), places of natural beauty and critical environmental areas (e.g. wetlands). Open space preservation supports smart growth goals by bolstering local economies, preserving critical environmental areas, improving our communities quality of life, and guiding new growth into existing communities.
There is growing political will to save the "open spaces" that Americans treasure. Voters continue to overwhelmingly approve ballot measures to fund open space protection efforts. The reasons for such support are varied and attributable to the benefits associated with open space protection. Protection of open space provides many fiscal benefits, including increasing local property value (thereby increasing property tax bases), providing tourism dollars, and decreases local tax increases (due to the savings of reducing the construction of new infrastructure). Management of the quality and supply of open space also ensures that prime farm lands are available, prevents flood damage, and provides a less expensive and natural alternative for providing clean drinking water.
The availability of open space also provides significant environmental quality and health benefits. Open space protects animal and plant habitat, places of natural beauty, and working lands by removing the development pressure and redirecting new growth to existing communities. Additionally, preservation of open space benefits the environment by combating air pollution, attenuating noise, controlling wind, providing erosion control, and moderating temperatures. Open space also protects surface and ground water resources by filtering trash, debris, and chemical pollutants before they enter a water system.
For more information about open space preservation click here |
