Arlington Subdivision will be Developed into a Farm

By Sarah Titcomb

Urban sprawl follows a predictable pattern. As populations rise, the pressure to expand developed areas outside of the congested urban core and into the seemingly empty rural areas, also grows. This pressure can often trigger land conversion from resource lands - such as farms and forests - to more developed uses. As more natural habitats are fragmented and urbanized, the ability of these open spaces to provide the more obvious services of food and lumber, decreases. Simultaneously, the not so obvious and often irreplaceable services such as water purification and carbon sequestration area also eroded.

In a dramatic role reversal earlier this week, 150 acres that had been previously platted and permitted for subdivision in Arlington near the south side of Highway 530, were actually developed into a farm. Through the tireless efforts of ROSS partner Forterra, farmer Andrew Albert will soon become the owner of the land which he intends to use for agricultural purposes. Actions such as this help to keep open spaces, especially working resource lands, close to urban areas. While open spaces, regardless of their location, provide services to the region’s residents, proximity is still important. 

For more information about this exciting work, please see the recent article on HeraldNet entitled “Land near Arlington will be developed…into a farm.”