APRIL 14, 2006
"Give
me land lots of land under 'neath the western sky, don't fence me in", bears repeating in this column on a regular basis. This line from an old cowboy song is how our ancestors perceived our great expansive nation. When crowding was felt to be a detriment to a good quality of life people moved west, and further west until they ran into the Pacific Ocean. Go West Young Man was the challenge.
When my successful friends feel hemmed in by big city life and the traffic gets to be annoying, they go someplace; maybe its north, perhaps south, occasionally west, and rarely east; however, they want to find land lots of land so they search high and low. One friend bought a home in Mexico. Several friends have gone to Wyoming and Montana and have purchased from an acre to over 1000 acres of land. The motive is the same: I want clean air, few people, and the joy of nature.
Who can blame them, but not all of us can afford the luxury of finding the next oasis far from where we live today. And farmers, they are losing their land because of economic reasons, encroachment of civilization, and consolidation; so where are they to go? Every time I drive through the farm belts of America; and I have driven through the fields of New England, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Oregon, Washington, Montana, New Mexico, and California talking with farmers; I have seen what the loss of land means to whole communities.
Ever ask yourself why land is so appealing? A house with land demands a premium price when sold. A community that preserves its land for the future is a wise community. When we possess land we feel we belong someplace. Everyone loves land, yet we are running out of it and we have to travel further and further to find unspoiled or wild lands. However, everyone is entitled to land, and we need to make sure if someone does not have personal property he or she has access to community land - such as parks, beaches, wilderness areas, national parks, lakes, rivers, and streams.
Two thoughts: Preserve what is near home, restore what has been degraded, and conserve what is in jeopardy. 2nd thought - When the acquisition of property is a part of your business of the time, think about preserving the land for future generations.
Preservation of land may lead to building up rather than out, or taking air space rather than green space. Makes sense to me, because as Will Rogers reminds us - "they keep making more people but they isn't making any more dirt."
--Peter