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Show Volume IX Issue V THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 11 December 15, 2003 LAND TRUSTS cont. from page 1 has also been a response to the increasing complexity of real estate markets and the rapidly escalating cost of land. One thing is clear, conservation is expensive and there just are not sufficient funds to protect everything worthy of protection through simple purchase. Nor can land trusts continue to rely on gifts of land to protect meaningful portions of the landscape. In some cases, it may be inappropriate for a land trust or public agency to own the land outright. Many land trusts now focus on “working lands,” privately owned lands that are actively managed as farms, ranches, or forestlands yet are protected through permanent conservation easements that prohibit development and encourage good stewardship. Land trusts and public agencies can be important partners with farmers, ranchers, and timberland owners, but certainly should not replace them. Conservation easements are a vital part of the conservation puzzle because they provide a mechanism for conserving large ecosystems by providing connections among other protected habitats, water resources, or parklands. In addition, these working lands define the edge of urban areas that would otherwise sprawl across the landscape merging one metropolitan area with another. Increasingly, land trusts are engaging in the land-use debate about how to tame sprawl. Land trusts and other community-based organizations are helping the public reclaim a measure of power in the land-use struggle by giving voice to the tremendous sense of loss that is felt when “too much” land is developed, forever changing the essential qualities of our communities. By articulating and quantifying the problem, land trusts have been able to motivate voters and political leaders to commit ever more substantial fiscal resources to conservation. The Massachusetts Audubon Society provided critical data on the rate of land conversion in Massachusetts with their report Losing Ground, documenting that in just fifteen years, developed land in Massachusetts increased 43 % although population increased only 6%, consuming land at the rate of 109 acres per day. The American Farmland Trust has published a series of well-researched reports on the fiscal impacts to communities from converting open land to residential development and providing services to the new development. And The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land have been very successful working with states to design and enact new funding sources for land conservation. Land trusts are also providing the vision for large-scale conservation that helps to focus conservation investments made by local, state, and federal governments. The Nature Conservancy co-authored with the Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program an important study entitled, Our Vanishing Heritage, which highlights the gaps between what is conserved in parks and wildlife management areas and the habitats that actually sustain our threatened and endangered species. The Trustees of Reservations engaged the public in a multi-year assessment of conservation needs that resulted in the publication of Conserving our Commonwealth, which sets out a vision for a statewide network or mosaic of different types of conservation lands and suggests the diversity of partners needed to achieve it. The community of land trusts has forged a strong national organization, the Land Trust Alliance, to provide opportunities for continuing education, promulgation of professional standards, and advocacy on issues affecting land conservation, especially federal tax policy. The Land Trust Alliance is aided by statewide coalitions and service providers that provide an important communication link and keep land trusts working together within each state. aren’t trying to make a living from the land now see that they and their communities receive a great deal of benefit from private productive open lands . . . We can all name other benefits of keeping these lands in productive use, some scientific and objective, others very subjective but no less real—and all in addition to the basic commodities these lands produce. Moreover, as conversion to other uses accelerates, people understand what a loss they are experiencing; they are ready to seek new solutions to keep these lands from being paved and subdivided.” The rapid increase in land trusts reflects broad support and participation by the public. On average, a new land trust is formed every week somewhere in this country. And the interest is not limited to the United States, land trusts or similar organizations are being formed in Latin America, Canada and Europe. Even within this country, there are more diverse communities becoming involved in forming new land trusts, including ranchers, sportsmen, Native Americans, churches, and even real estate developers. This is an exciting and positive development, but raises the question— should there be a continuing proliferation of small, specialized land trusts, or should larger, established land trusts broaden their mission to embrace these other community goals? Are all these organizations dedicated to permanent conservation and are they sustainable over time? With so many dedicated people involved, one hopes that good answers will be found in a timely manner. Regardless, the trend is clear. What will the 21st century bring? “More development pressure,” predicts Ms. Hocker. “A greater realization by people that open space is the single natural resource we cannot hope to regain once it has been lost to strip malls and asphalt. As a result, we will see greater urgency in the work of land trusts.” The conclusions are clear; more needs to be done. The pace of land protection must increase to at least match the rate of land conversion from development. A broader public must be involved and financially supportive. Public funding for land conservation and stewardship must increase significantly and be better coordinated through more effective public involvement and accountability. And, although the challenges are immense, land trusts have a unique opportunity to transform the good work of the recent past into the great works that will sustain our communities into the next century. A Nurse’s Eye View— A look at diabetes By JOHN C. WITWER, RN and Jenn Littrell, LPN ‘Tis the season . . . for turkey and gravy, fudge, pies, and sugar cookies. But before you add another small slice of chocolate heaven to your plate, here’s some food for thought; more than six million people in the United States have Type 2 diabetes and do not know it. Research shows the greatest risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes is obesity. Being overweight and inactive can cause diabetes, as well as a multitude of associated health problems. The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) warns that in any case of uncontrolled diabetes, the sugar builds up in the blood system leading to complications such as: Cardiovascular disease Blindness Kidney disease Nervous system disease Dental disease To better understand diabetes, it is important to look at some basics. The food that we eat is broken down into glucose, a sugar that serves as the source of energy for our body’s cells. In order for the energy source to be available to the cells, glucose must be carried into the cells by insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. In a healthy body, the pancreas will secrete just the right amount of insulin to carry the glucose into the cells. What is diabetes? Essentially, it is a metabolic disorder—the way our bodies break down sugars in the food we eat and how those sugars are made available. In the diabetic, the pancreas may either produce too little or no insulin at all, or the cells may not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. The end result is a build up of glucose in the blood, which spills out into urine and is passed out of the body. Hence, the body loses its main source of energy, even though the blood is filled to capacity with glucose. The quantity of insulin a person produces determines the diagnosis of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) there are three prevalent types: Type 1 - A person produces no insulin (most often diagnosed in children before the age of 10). Type 2 - A person is resistant to or produces insufficient amounts of insulin (most often diagnosed in adults. However, increasing incidents are occurring in children as young as 4). Gestational - A development in some women during pregnancy. So what does all this scientific jargon have to do with you? It all comes back to that delicious piece of cake you are eating while you sit on the couch. About 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight. This disease process used to be reserved for those over forty years of age. Unfortunately, as more children and adolescents become overweight, Type 2 diabetes is now very common in young people. But, in all fairness, it is not only the obese that are at risk for Type 2 diabetes. The National Institute for Health (NIH) identified the following at greatest risk for developing Type 2 diabetes: Persons 45 years of age or older. Family history. Certain ethnic backgrounds. A history of gestational diabetes. High blood pressure. High cholesterol A person who is fairly inactive. The NIH, as a result of major research studies, states that proper diet and exercise were the most effective measures to preventing or delaying the development of Type 2 diabetes. What are the symptoms of diabetes? increased thirst increased hunger fatigue increased urination, especially at night weight loss blurred vision sores that do not heal Questions? Contact johnwitwer@yahoo.com Gage Froerer & Assoc. (801)745-4221 Equestrian Estate $1,200,000 Custom 5,462 sq.ft. country home, with wonderful "GREAT" room. 10.92 acres 7,500 sq.ft. of barns. Gage 391-4233 Prestigious Victorian Ranch $1,100,000 12.78 ac. inc. 100’x120’ Lg. fenced area w/ round pen and year-round stream. 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Joan 675-0444 Eden Office 2405 Highway 158 BRANCH BROKER Deborah Hegg (801)745-1538 REALTORS Hopes for the Future Jean Hocker, President of the Land Trust Alliance, summed up the land trust communities optimism in an address to the National Governor’s Conference, “Even those who THINK OFTHE FUTURE The Ogden Valley Land Trust a non-profit organization For more information, Call (801) 745-2048 Brandon Fuller 645-6060 ****** LOTS & ACREAGE ****** LIBERTY & NORDIC 2 AC Lot- 3100E 4100N -$79,900 50AC - Nordic Valley Rd- Includes Golf Course & Lots - $1,450,000 EDEN 1.76AC -2225 Hwy 158- $81,000 1.61AC -2250 Hwy 158- $81,000 5.76 AC Serenity Hills $185,000 25.91AC - 2300N 6200E- Includes 26 shares of water $390,000 HUNTSVILLE 65AC Snowbasin Road $1,800,000 33.24AC- 11 lot SudDiv. $565,000 1.57&1.58AC-RiverRun-$69,500EA 1.59AC- Commercial $230,000 2AC - Hwy $110,000 Joan Woodruff 675-0444 Happy Holidays |