Rolling hills, verdant meadows and sweeping forests that cling to misty
mountains like vast quilts of green cotton have helped define North
Carolina every bit as much as its people and its history. But the
state's open spaces aren't forever.
By
some estimates, the state loses approximately 400 acres of open space
to development per day and it is losing its farmland at a faster clip
than every other state except Ohio and Texas. Couple that with one of
the fastest-growing populations in the nation and what once had been
taken for granted could be lost to future generations.
Without a
thoughtful plan and a serious commitment to preserving some of its open
spaces, the state will continue to cut, clear and pave over farmland
and forests.
This isn't simply some wild-eyed, state-sanctioned
attempt to hug trees. For all the benefits of development there are
comparable, if not greater, benefits to prudent land use beyond pure
aesthetics. Land preservation can enhance the quality of drinking water
by protecting streams, rivers and lakes. It bolsters tourism and
quality of life, two key ingredients to attracting industries that pay
good wages.
That's why a General Assembly-inspired initiative to
preserve 1 million acres of open space by 2009 was a welcome, if
ambitious, attempt to act before it's too late. But as the News &
Record's Jason Hardin recently reported, only slightly more than
400,000 acres thus far have been preserved.
Part of the problem
is the rapid pace of population growth and development. North Carolina
now is the 10th most-populous state in the Union. Another is the steep
price of the land. And still another is the politically delicate
dilemma of how to fund such an initiative with so many other needs,
such as education and health care, vying for attention.
Where to
find that kind of cash? A state commission's report suggests such
options as raising the income tax and sales tax or creating new fees
for building permits and landfill use. None is likely to be popular.
The
least politically radioactive approach clearly would be a general
obligation bond on the November ballot. That way the state, and
preservationists, would have the chance to make their case before the
voters. And the voters would have the right to approve or veto the
expenditure at the ballot box.
Voters deserve more credit than
they sometimes receive in recognizing what's good for them. For
instance, in 1988, county voters approved $25 million in bonds to buy
land around lakes Brandt, Higgins, Townsend and Mackintosh and to build
retention ponds, and protect water quality.
In 2004, Guilford
County voters approved $10 million in bonds to buy land for
preservation. More recently, in November Greensboro voters approved $5
million in bonds for parks and recreation while saying no to several
other high-profile initiatives.
The state commission will hold
one of three public hearings about open spaces today at GTCC's
Jamestown campus. If you care about preventing some of North Carolina's
most precious natural treasures from disappearing, tell the commission
tonight. And send a message to Raleigh.
