A Silver Lining for Massachusetts: Land Conservation Thrives in Economic Recession

by Dan Burgess

A recent report published by the Massachusetts Audubon Society found that there may be some good  that has come out of the recent economic crisis: for the first time in at least two decades, the Commonwealth is preserving more land than is being developed. 

This report, titled Losing Ground, shows that land development has slowed to 22 acres of land being developed a day, down from 40 acres a day in 2003.  This report only analyzes data up until 2005, but it is obvious that the recent economic conditions will only add to a further decline.

Slowed conditions in the housing market will have a significant impact as residential land development makes up almost 87% of ‘land use change’.  While this slouch in expansion will be economically difficult for many, it will also serve to provide an important opportunity for the Commonwealth and the city of Boston to catch it’s collective breath and to take a closer look at our land development strategy.

In a recent interview with WBUR radio host Bob Oakes, Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy at the Massachusetts Audubon Society, stated:

“Roughly speaking, there’s five million acres in Massachusetts. One million has been protected, one million has been developed and the rest is up for grabs. And it’s up to us as a Commonwealth to be more strategic in how we develop land and how we save land.”

While a great majority of the city is considered ‘at or close to buildout’, many surrounding areas are identified as the ‘Sprawl Frontier’ in the Losing Ground report.  This Sprawl Frontier is of vital importance to Boston and how we use this land surrounding the city has a direct correlation on the sustainability and livelihood of our community. If we want milk from local dairy farms, clean water, fresh produce grown locally, or fish caught from our coast, we must see that these Sprawl Frontiers are managed in an intelligent and thoughtful way.

The Losing Ground report is full of important information regarding land use in Massachusetts and concludes with numerous recommendations for improvement in the Commonwealth.  Make sure you, your neighbors, and your government representatives are aware of this report and how integral thoughtful land use is to the sustainability of our city.

To read the full Losing Ground report, click here.

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