Preservation News

Legislative action could help stem rapid loss of forests, farmland, advocates say

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Raleigh—If current development rates continue, North Carolina will lose at least two million acres more of forests and farmlands over the next twenty years, according to a new Environment North Carolina report.  Environment North Carolina, lawmakers, and Land for Tomorrow urged the General Assembly Wednesday to approve bills H 990 and S 1522 to help stem the projected loss of open spaces in the state.

“These predictions about our vanishing forests and farmlands are based on trends of the past,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, Environment North Carolina director and the report’s main author.  “But North Carolina lawmakers still have the chance to protect our state’s most important natural areas for the future.”

Using data from the U.S. Census and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Losing Our Natural Heritage examines development rates in North Carolina over the last twenty years, and uses those results to make conservative predictions about loss of cropland and forestland over the next twenty years.  Key findings include:

·      The Triangle will lose 37 percent of its open spaces; cropland will disappear altogether.

·      The Charlotte area will lose 30 percent of its forests and farmlands, including nearly a quarter of its forest land, the highest rate of forest loss in the state.

Last month, a bi-partisan majority of 65 representatives and 28 senators introduced the Land and Water Conservation Bond Act, which would authorize a statewide bond referendum on spending $1 billion over the next five years to protect the state’s critical land and water resources.  Bill sponsors noted this that substantial new land conservation funding, if approved, would help prevent the projections from “Losing Our Natural Heritage” from becoming reality.

“The Land and Water Conservation Bond Act will help stem the loss of our treasured forests, farmlands, and other open spaces,” said Rep. Lucy Allen, one of the bill’s primary sponsors.  “This report shows that we must act now—there will be no second chances.”

Citizens from across the state converged on Jones Street today to urge swift approval of the Land and Water Conservation Bond Act.  Land for Tomorrow, the statewide partnership committed to increased conservation funding, estimates the measure would ensure the protection of additional 740,000 acres of forests, farmlands, trails, parks, gamelands, and other natural areas, including more than 6000 miles of river and stream buffers across North Carolina.

“The Land and Water Conservation plan will help balance or prevent the loss of some half million acres that will otherwise occur during that same period,” said Kate Dixon, director of Land for Tomorrow.  “But urgent action is needed.  Once the forests have been turned to concrete there will be no more seedlings.  Once the farm families have been pressured off their land, they aren’t coming back.”