What isn’t clear from the editorial is why more development is a good thing. Will more development mean cleaner air? Healthier watersheds? Safer, less congested streets? A more sustainable local economy? Of course not.
What it will mean is further degradation of the natural environment and our quality of life.
One aspect of the water rights deal that is particularly troubling is the purchase of a 197-acre farm south of Yelm, and the retirement of the farm’s water rights. Without land and water, farmers can’t farm. When farmers can’t farm, people can’t eat. The reality is that this purchase means another 197 acres of prime farmland has been lost forever.
Thurston County has already lost more than 75 percent of its agricultural land since 1950. With the county’s population projected to grow by 121,000 people by 2030, where will the food come from to feed these new residents? In an era of climate change, diminishing fuel reserves, economic uncertainty and increasing visits to local food banks, is it wise public policy to undermine our local food production capacity?
Yes, to quote the editorial our elected officials are working quietly and efficiently.
Unfortunately it is not towards the long-term sustainability or food security of the community.
