Wyo can grow and protect open spaces
Casper Star Tribune, Sunday, September 09, 2007
DIANE HULME
Perspective
For Wyoming residents, open spaces contribute to quality of life and community values by providing wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and the foundation of Wyoming’s agriculture and tourism industries. The vast and unfettered nature of Wyoming’s open space reflects the state’s western character.
Maintenance of Wyoming’s open spaces need not compromise economic development; in fact open space can be a tool to attract tourists, businesses and residents. Wyoming’s open spaces should be the foundation for thoughtful growth, and integral to maintaining livable, sustainable communities. When determining the quality of Wyoming’s future, consideration should be given to the tangible as well as intangible benefits that open spaces provide for all residents.
The Rocky Mountain West is currently the fastest growing region in the country. Along with the positive influences of growth in our region, residents, both old and new, are beginning to see and experience some downsides as well. Rural and suburban sprawl has been reducing open spaces along Colorado’s Front Range, Utah’s Wasatch Front and Montana’s Gallatin Valley. But what about Wyoming?
As the pace and pattern of Wyoming’s growth changes, the pressure on ranchers and farmers to maintain open space grows, too. People in Wyoming, and who are moving to Wyoming, are looking for their own piece of open space as opposed to living in town and using shared open space. Consider the following:
· Through the year 2020, 80 percent of new development in Wyoming will be rural development on lots of 10-40 acres in size for each housing unit, according to researchers at Colorado State University.
· Considering current growth patterns, Wyoming is also expected to average 7.1 acres of residential development for every new household or 2.9 acres of residential development for each new resident. This statistic should come as no surprise given the number of ranches being sold and converted to 35 and 40 acre lot subdivisions. But, as a state, we have to ask ourselves if this pattern of development is sustainable for the long term.
· Nearly 100,000 acres of land have been subdivided in Wyoming between 1998 and 2006, according to the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office. This only includes subdivisions comprised of lots sizes smaller than 35 acres.
· The American Farmland Trust has estimated that 2.6 million acres of prime ranchland in Wyoming could be converted to residential development by 2020 (AFT 2002). The study also found that five counties in Wyoming (Sublette, Park, Uinta, Big Horn, and Fremont) were among the top 25 counties in the Rocky Mountain region in terms of potential for conversion of prime ranchland to residential development.
Conversely, numerous public opinion polls have been conducted in recent years by various organizations in Wyoming about people’s attitudes toward land use. The polls consistently report strong support (approximately 75 percent) for incentives to keep ranchers ranching and to protect wildlife habitat. Can we have it both ways?
These issues have prompted the University of Wyoming Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resource to work with UW faculty and students, and others from around Wyoming with expertise in this area to investigate land use change in the state. This effort is called the Wyoming Open Spaces Initiative. Our research, which has consisted of compiling and analyzing census data and other studies from around Wyoming, has revealed some startling facts:
· Of Wyoming’s 62.8 million acres of land, approximately 43 percent is privately owned (27 million acres). Of that, slightly over 93 percent (25 million acres) is used for agriculture, an enterprise that by its nature provides open space, scenic views, and wildlife habitat.
· Although Wyoming's population grew slightly more than 2.5 percent from 2000-05, half of that growth occurred in rural areas outside incorporated towns. Some counties like Lincoln, Park, and Uinta experienced more than 80 percent of their growth in rural areas. Other counties, like Albany and Bighorn, lost population from 2000-05 but actually gained population in rural areas.
· Even though rural residential developments pay higher property taxes than agricultural land, they demand more frequent public services, such as emergency services and road maintenance, than agricultural land. On average in Wyoming, it costs $1.13 to provide services for every $1 in property tax revenue generated from rural residences. This usually results in all county residents subsidizing services for rural subdivisions.
The fact is, Wyoming is going to continue to grow and gain population. A balance needs to be achieved between the two desires that residents and newcomers to Wyoming both want -- growth and protection of our ranching culture, wildlife habitat, and uncluttered landscapes.
Changes to the state laws that facilitate large (35-plus) acre tract rural development are currently being considered by the Joint Corporations Committee of the Wyoming legislature. The Wyoming Open Spaces Initiative applauds their efforts to better understand the above issues and offers research and technical support. Cooperation between federal, state and local leaders, and the public could provide Wyoming an opportunity to use creative new approaches that are consistent with Wyoming’s values and desire to preserve the qualities that make Wyoming unique.
Diana Hulme is assistant director of the Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources. This column was written with contributions from and the endorsement of the Wyoming Open Spaces Initiative. For more information, visit