Opinion - Whatcom View

POSTED: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

New group wants landowners heard in land-use discussions

Perhaps you've seen the big yellow "Land Grab" signs around Whatcom County? Or have heard that hundreds of people have been showing up at county planning commission meetings, many wearing yellow shirts to express their growing frustration with proposed changes to county land-use policies in rural areas? Many people are outraged at the proposals - and most of them are ordinary folks who don't usually show up at the courthouse to protest or ask favor.

Adding fuel to the fire is the growing misinformation about these issues in the media. And making matters worse is the insufficient level of open dialog between the planners and those affected by the proposed changes to provide a basis for a constructive resolution.

To see the situation from the point of view of many of these angry landowners: how would you feel if you received notice demanding you stop using, and immediately remove, a bedroom or bathroom from your home? Or, that you have too many pets and have to sell them or give them away by some arbitrary deadline? While that sounds drastic, that is how many farmers, business people and rural property owners feel about what is already happening to them now, and they see even worse coming.

There are powerful reasons for land use rules: protecting the natural environment, preserving farmland, maintaining our quality of life, and complying with state and federal mandates, are among the most important.

Recognizing that much is at stake on all sides of this complex equation, we have come together to seek a way to channel the current outrage in a positive direction. To that end we announce the formation of the Whatcom Chapter of the Citizens Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR), a statewide effort for taking positive, constructive grassroots action to resolve environmental and other land use issues for the benefit of the entire community.

That's right - we're not just about complaining and demanding our rights. We support scientifically sound, effective measures to protect and restore the natural environment. We oppose placing burdens that should be borne by all of us solely upon rural landowners who have paid their fair share in taxes, permit fees, and the like, but we also support insuring that a few do not profit at the expense of the many, or of the environment.

To further this goal, we call for greater government transparency and accountability. At the least, the county should determine and publish baseline conditions and set benchmarks for measuring progress, so that the effectiveness of taxpayer-funded programs can be properly evaluated and real improvements made.

We call for the replacement of "guilty until proven innocent" regulatory compliance measures with a cooperative approach aimed at finding win-win solutions.

We understand that the best available science may from time to time appear to contradict common sense, but we ask that in such cases more care be taken in the evaluation and application of the science. While there may be a significant impact from small amounts of farm waste discharged far from a sensitive area, shouldn't we confirm with measurement rather than just assume based on theory?

We understand the importance of growth management. We share many of the concerns as other environmental groups. While we take no specific position on what the best population projection is or how big urban growth areas should be, we insist that fairness to property owners be part of the decisions.

We advocate bottom-up management rather than top-down agency control. Landowners have invaluable knowledge of their own neighborhoods, and neighbors working together in partnership with local government can address problems more effectively than distant bureaucracies. The recently formed watershed improvement districts are proving that landowners will be responsible stewards of the land when empowered with the tools to do so.

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, more than 450 people attended the kickoff of our new organization, which shows the time is right to take a new approach toward protecting all of the best things that make our area the place we love to call home.

Yes, let's think globally and act locally - and that includes making a seat at the policy making table for those who put food on our dinner tables.

Ron Reimer is acting president of the new Whatcom County Citizen's Alliance for Property Rights.