In Pennsylvania, we are losing more and more of our state's precious open spaces every day. In fact, Pennsylvania is developing land faster per person than any other state in the nation. Between 1992 and 1997, Pennsylvania lost over 1 million acres of farmland, forest, and open space to development. This is approximately twice the national average rate of open space consumption. Destroying Open Space Threatens the Environmental and Public Health 1.
Sprawl threatens the quality of our state's waterways.
Replacing open spaces with highways and parking lots interrupts the natural water cycle and produces excessive run-off which contaminates our rivers, lakes and streams, including critical drinking water sources. Sprawl destroys habitat for threatened and endangered species. Pennsylvania is home to 16 species listed as threatened or endangered by the federal Endangered Species Act and over 1000 considered at risk by the state. Sprawl degrades air quality through increased driving. Automobiles are significant sources of global warming and smog-forming pollution.