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Show Volume II , Issue IV Page 3 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS January 2000 Figures Show Accelerated Loss of Farmland to Development In December, Vice President Al Gore released new figures showing that the conversion of farmland and other open space to development has more than doubled in recent years. The Vice President said the Administration will seek a significant increase in funding for voluntary programs to preserve farms threatened by sprawl. The new figures, contained in the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 1997 National Resources Inventory, show that nationally, nearly 16 million acres of forest, cropland, and open space were converted to urban and other uses from 1992 to 1997. The average rate for those five years—3.2 million acres a year—is more than twice the rate of 1.4 million acres a year recorded from 1982 to 1992. “These new figures confirm what communities across America already know—too much of our precious open space is being gobbled up by sprawl,” Vice President Al Gore said. “We need to help communities grow in ways that work. We can build more livable communities, with a strong economy and a high quality of life, without forcing family farmers off the farm.” The Vice President said the new figures show that the loss of farmland is no longer centered predominantly around major metropolitan areas, but is affecting growing numbers of small- and mid-sized cities in virtually every part of the country. States with the highest acreage conversion rates include: California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. While the conversion of agricultural land does not threaten America’s food supply, haphazard development patterns result in the fragmentation of agricultural land, the loss of family farms that raise fresh produce for urban markets, and the elimination of vital open spaces, the Vice President said. “Every time a farmer is squeezed off the land, a valuable way of life is eroded,” the Vice President said. “We can help preserve our communities, and our environment, by keeping farmers on the land.” The Vice President said the Administration’s FY 2001 budget would propose a significant increase for USDA’s Farmland Protection Program, which provides resources to state and local governments to enter into voluntary agreements with farmers to preserve farmland. Typically, the funds are used to purchase “conservation easements” that ensure that farmland remains in agriculture and is not developed. “This voluntary program is enormously popular—for every dollar available, we have $10 in requests from state and local governments. Yet Congress has repeatedly denied the Administration’s requests for increased funding,” the Vice President said. “We will again call on Congress to give farmers, and their communities, the help they need.” The Vice President said the Administration will also continue to help communities address sprawl through its Livable Communities initiative, a broad array of programs that provide tools and resources to help ease traffic congestion, protect open space, revitalize urban neighborhoods, and strengthening local economies. “Our role is to expand the choices available to communities—not to dictate solutions,” the Vice President said. “By providing new tools and resources, we can help communities create the future they want.” The full National Resources Inventory was released Tuesday, December 7th by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman at the National Summit on Private Lands Conservation in Ames, Iowa. The summit, hosted by USDA, examined conservation and forestry issues facing the nation’s private lands and gathered ideas for targeting federal assistance. The resources inventory covers non-federal land in the United States—some 75 percent of the country’s land base—and is conducted every five years by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in cooperation with Iowa State University. It captures data from 800,000 statistically selected locations on land cover, land use, soil erosion, prime farmland, wetlands, habitat diversity, selected conservation practices, and other natural resource information. The information is statistically reliable for national, regional, statewide and multi-county use. NRI land conversion information is available on the web at <http:www.nrcs.usda.gov>. Early Bird Coupon - Early Bird Coupon a casual eatery in beautiful Ogden Canyon EARLY BIRD COUPON... EARLY BIRD COUPON... EARLY BIRD COUPON Visit The Oaks Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and when purchasing an entree receive a second entree of equal or lessor value for free. THIS OFFER IS NOT VALID HOLIDAYS. OPEN SUNDAY - THURSDAY 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. FRIDAY - SATURDAY 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner Visit our website: www.citysearch.com/slc/theoaks 750 Ogden Canyon ...........................................394-2421 Utah Losing its Farm, Ranch Lands Utah is losing its farmland and open space, and Peterson is a member ranch land at increasing rates, of that commission. according to two recently released The Legislature also founded the reports. Department’s Critical Resource Land The U.S. Census Bureau says that Conservation Committee, which Utah is the second-fastest-growing Peterson chairs. The committee has state in the country for housing units, identified five agricultural landand a U.S. Department of Agriculture protection projects for funding— study shows Utah is losing its money which would purchase farmland to development at twice the easements or development rights as a previous rate. means of keeping the land in agricultural production. The census bureau reported that Nevada, Utah and Idaho are leading “Our citizens are becoming more the nation in housing growth, ranking aware of the importance of protecting Nevada’s nearly 48 percent jump in our farmland as a means to protect our housing from 1990 to 1998 as the heritage and our self-sufficiency,” largest increase in the country. Utah’s Peterson said. 22.1 percent increase was second, Peterson said he is nearing with Idaho’s 21.8 percent third. agreements with farmland owners in Those new homes are going up on Davis and Cache counties to protect the country’s best farmland, according more than 100 acres of farmland. to the USDA’s National Resource One parcel is near the Great Salt Conservation Service reports that the Lake and is part of a family farm that nation’s agricultural land is being produces high-value vegetables. The developed twice as fast as in years second, in Cache County, “would help past. ensure the viability of several nearby The USDA’s 1997 inventory family farms,” he said. shows that the United States is losing So far, private nonprofit groups 3 million acres of agricultural or have made the largest gains in forest land each year to protecting Utah farmland, he said. development—twice as fast as the The Nature Conservancy has previous ten years. protected more than 260,000 acres of Utah’s yearly development rate Utah farm and ranchland, and Utah also has double. Between 1992 and Open Lands have preserved just over 1997, more than 21,000 acres were 19,000 acres. developed annually, compared with Note: Article reprinted by permission from 10,690 acres developed each year the Standard Examiner between 1982 and 1992. “This is a confirmation of what we’ve been seeing for several years,” says Gary G. Peterson, U t a h ’ s Complete line of solar products commissioner Nonelectric pellet stoves o f Wood, coal, fuel oil boilers, fu r n a c e s a n d s t o v e s agriculture Cabin power centers and food. Generators Gas,LP,D “ F o r Solar water heating every farm Radiant floor heating that is Propane refrigerators Instant hot water heaters covered by Solar pool heating rooftops and Wind generators blacktop, Hydro generators U t a h Water filters consumers become n ot ater m o r e Heat & Power dependent on imported Rod Hyatt food.” Box 807, Eden Ut. 1-801-745-2009 The Utah ibrodn@uswest.net Department o f Agriculture and Food is trying to protect the state’s prime farmland. The 1999 U t a h Legislature created the Quality G r o w t h Commission Makita to identify and protect The sun will come out tomorrow You can count on it I H W Full home power systems We have propane and natural gas conversion kits for your generator |