Growth in the West
News, views and resources about smart growth issues in the American West ...

The Case for Smart Growth in Montana is an op-ed by MSGC director Tim Davis that appeared in the Helena Independent-Record and on Headwaters News.

Drowning in Development
"In our arid state, water has always been in short supply and has always determined where we can live, work, and play. So why are we letting out-of-control development poison and drain this precious resource?" A commentary from MSGC director Tim Davis. Also available online in the Perspective section on Headwaters News.

Land Use Planning in Oregon Turns 30 -- The High Country News looks at Oregon's 30-year-old land-use planning efforts that are nationally acclaimed for their innovation and effectiveness and yet increasingly criticized for their stringency.

Gated Communities Fencing Out the West -- The High Country News reports on the strains and stresses brought on by gated communities in the West, with particular emphasis on the Stock Farm in the Bitterroot Valley.

Study Finds Rocky Mountain Ranchland at Risk -- American Farmland Trust has released a new study that shows more than 24 million acres of ranchland at peril from low-density development. These ranchlands represent natural resources that could completely disappear by 2020, leaving a rent in the ecological, economic and cultural fabric of local communities. The study reveals threats to strategic ranchlands—land with a combination of natural and agricultural resources—in seven Rocky Mountain States. Montana and Idaho contain the greatest amount of imperiled ranchland with more than 5 million acres under pressure from development. Colorado ranks third with 4.8 million acres likely to go under the backhoe by 2020. Study maps and an executive summary are posted online.

Colorado Ranchers Help Ease Sprawl -- The Christian Science Monitor reports that six Colorado ranchers have signed conservation easements that will protect an 11,000 acre green belt in the Wet Mountain Valley of Custer County. Although many ranchers throughout the west have signed easements to help limit development and protect the vast swaths of land necessary to graze cattle, few other agreements approach the scale of the Custer County easements.

Second Homes Drive Wyoming Sprawl -- A Perspective piece from Headwaters News looks at sprawl in the least populated state in the nation, Wyoming. Despite its population of only 500,000, some Wyoming counties, such as Teton, have seen growth spurts of 63 percent in the last decade. Wyoming grew by nearly 9 percent in the last decade and nearly half that growth occurred in rural areas outside incorporated towns and cities. Census data also show that between 1990 and 2000 the number of second homes in Wyoming increased by 30 percent, nearly double the national average. Authors of the piece, from the University of Wyoming, note that growth is inevitable and can be beneficial but that "unplanned growth can detract from the very amenities that residents of the state are here to enjoy."

Montana's Fastest Growing County Grapples with Sprawl --The Missoula Independent reports on the contention surrounding planning efforts in Ravalli County in western Montana, which has grown 44 percent in the last decade. Attempts to develop a growth policy in the county have met resistance from a divided community. And while many acknowledge the need for a comprehensive approach, few have been successful in figuring out how to put the common good ahead of personal gain.