Planning Transportation Planning Community Revitalization Questions Resources Victory ClubBeat Volunteers Search for an Article Free Subscription Back Issues Open Space Protection Americans want to live close to nature. But poorly planned development is gobbling up our beloved parks and open spaces at an alarming rate. Sprawl threatens wildlife by chopping up habitat. Even animals like grizzly bears and salmon, already pushed to the brink, are losing habitat to encroaching homes and highways.
Sprawl also threatens our wetlands.
Each year, we destroy more than 110,000 acres of these natural filters. Much of this damage happened in states and counties where weak zoning laws allowed developers to drain wetlands and build in floodplains. Sprawl is carving up our farm land, too. Development is replacing farmers' fields, disrupting small-town agriculture and a way of life. An astounding 70 percent of prime or unique farm land is now in the path of rapid development, according to the American Farmland Trust.