Recently...
Pennsylvania moves to protect the Appalachian Trail
On February 5th, the Pennsylvania State Senate
Environmental Resources and Energy Committee unanimously voted the Pennsylvania
Appalachian Trail Act out of committee.
The Appalachian Trail includes 229 miles of trails in Pennsylvania
alone, and is home to dozens of threatened and endangered species. Unfortunately, this portion of the Appalachian
Trail is being threatened by encroaching overdevelopment. The committee vote was the first step towards
ensuring the protection of this precious trail system for future generations.
What's at stake
Sprawling low-density development devours open space. Fast-growing states like North Carolina will lose another 2 million acres of farms and forests in the next 20 years. Out-of-control development increases traffic
congestion and air pollution, degrades our rivers and streams with
runoff pollution, and strains our public infrastructure and the
taxpayer dollars needed to sustain it.
A Responsible Growth Plan
To
protect our environment and maintain our quality of life, our
policy-makers must embrace the idea of responsible growth. Any new
plans should:
• Promote More Transit, Not New Highways
Expanding
mass transit can get us where we need to go while easing traffic
congestion and air pollution. New highways not only exacerbate these
problems but also invite the destruction of open spaces by imposing
far-flung development patterns in exurban hinterlands.
• Channel Growth
Channel
development into existing urban areas through a combination of stronger
land use planning requirements and urban growth boundaries. This will
create vital communities and preserve our open spaces without
sacrificing economic development.
• Preserve Open Spaces
Strengthen public funding and ownership of threatened open spaces to protect these lands from development.
• End Developer Handouts
End
taxpayer giveaways for sprawling developments that strain the resources
and infrastructure of our communities. More efficient growth will save
taxpayer dollars in communities across the country.
