ABSTRACT

Growth beyond the borders of towns and cities has had a mixed reputation in America. On the one hand, since the mid-nineteenth century the ability to afford a suburban or semi-rural home has marked a degree of economic prosperity.1 The draw of a quiet home with a landscaped yard to escape the pressures of the city was, and still is, strong. Enabled by new modes of transportation-first trolleys, then commuter trains, and finally highways-urbanites seized the opportunity to relocate to more natural environs.2 Today opportunities afforded by advances in telecommunications continue to extend the range of physical distance between the home and the main office. Equally important in understanding the demands for a suburban or rural lifestyle is that in addition to the attractions offered, would-be residents were (and in some cases still are) pushed away from cities by higher taxes, the quality of schools, and notable crime rates.3 Yet, on the other hand, development beyond municipal borders has also been associated with social problems and environmental degradation. Commonly and often pejoratively known as sprawl, such growth is characterized by leapfrog or scattered development of low-density houses punctuated by commercial strips.4 From a social standpoint, it has been criticized for contributing to inefficient outlays for infrastructure, unaffordable housing, and the decline of inner cities-which, of course, feeds back on the system, reinforcing some of the reasons that make suburban life attractive.5 Environmental impacts of sprawl include the loss of productive agricultural land and natural vegetation, ecosystem 6

Regional development that reduces native vegetation makes the amount that remains relatively more valuable for the maintenance of ecological systems, including the conservation of local flora and fauna. As fewer and fewer lands become more and more biologically significant, stricter management regimens may become necessary to support and conserve the natural environment. These increased requirements can, in turn, reduce the availability of these lands for other uses including recreation, resource harvesting, and, in the case of military lands, training exercises.