Open spaces, working places

Abstract

Private rangeland near many Western cities is disappearing rapidly under an onslaught of suburban and "ranchette" developments. As the "peopling of the New West" continues unabated, alarms have been raised on two fronts: by rural citizens and conservation groups troubled by the loss of agricultural production and biological diversity, and by urban interests that lament the loss of open space and recreation opportunity. Some counties and cities are taking steps to slow the rate of rangeland conversion by acquiring farms and ranches for use as open space, but that won't do much to ease rural concerns unless concerted cooperative efforts are made to both reduce potential conflicts over recreational and agricultural land uses and maintain rangeland landscapes that serve as more than just scenic backdrops for suburban lifestyles.

Citation

Resnik, Jessica; Wallace, George; Brunson, Mark; Mitchell, John. 2006. Open spaces, working places. Rangelands. 28(5): 4-9.