22 Agriculture and City

The influences of expansion of city and agriculture land on PNW forest

In this chapter I will lead you to find out the influence of expansion of city and agriculture land on PNW forest by introducing the basic situation, then proposing the problem and finally give solution.

Introduction:

 According to the Defender of wildlife, The Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. Forest Service includes 19 National Forests, a National Scenic Area, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments within the states of Washington and Oregon. Habitats range from the dry deserts east of the Cascades to the lush rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula. The region supports one of the most diverse floras in the nation with numerous recreational opportunities. ^[1] The Pacific Northwest forest includes very huge region of forest and contains numerous different type of trees, plants and animals. As the result, the pacific northwest forest not only plays an important role in the surrounding ecosystem but also provides countless valuable resources like water, food and some raw materials using by industry to people. ‘Pacific Northwest forests, including those managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM), contain  immeasurable value, providing clean water and air for downstream communities plus cultural significance and first foods to the region’s Tribes, sequestering carbon, and serving as important habitat for the region’s distinctive biodiversity.’   ^[2] However, the long history of logging and the expansion of city and agriculture has already make extensive harm to the PNW forest. Moreover, the old growth forest in PNW forest is very precious in six aspects. First, Old Growth Forests Support many Terrestria land Aquatic Species. Second, Old-Growth Forests and the Habitat They Provide Have Economic Value. Third, Old Growth Forests Increase Water Supplies and Provide Valuable Water- Regulation Services. Forth, Old-Growth Forests Provide Valuable Recreational Opportunities. Fifth, Old-Growth Forests Can Strengthen LocalEconomies. The last one, Old-Growth Forests Protect Valuable Assets.Guest. ^[3]  Thus, the most impending task is to protect and help PNW forest to remain healthy and resilient. 

Problem

In the next one hundred years, the population in Washington State was expected doubled. This trend will cause the rapidly increasing of the demand for housing and other factors like farming and timber industry. The size of the pacific northwest now is 24.7 million acres. This number sounds we still have very large area of forest , but we have already lost big part of the forest. ‘ Around 30,000 acres of forest land a year is being converted from forest management to developed uses in the Puget Sound region. This is a more profound and final disturbance than the logging of the original old-growth forest. It is also more detrimental to water, wildlife and fisheries resources. Accelerated erosion, more severe and frequent landslides, and other types of environmental degradation are occurring as a result of urbanization. The costs of mitigating these cumulative impacts is increasing and must be borne by local communities and public agencies. Over the last 30 years, more than 2.3 million acres of forest land have been converted to other uses. ’^[4] Obviously, the shapely increased population and the acceleration of the urbanization has no doubt contributed to the lost of PNW forest.  ’The availability of relatively affordable land outside of cities has led new residents and developers to build in rural areas. This expansion of the urban interface has caused the value of forest land to rise dramatically if converted to residential property. According to a 1999 study of rural King County, land that had recently been worth roughly $1,000/acre for the production of forest products now can sell for up to $15,000 – $20,000/acre for residential development. This rise in property value has motivated many forest landowners, both non-industrial and industrial, to convert their lands for more profitable urban and residential uses.’ ^[5]In fact, the urbanization of PNW forest land start very early. Because of inadequate land laws, a lot of lands were donated through the public domain in the form of educational grants. Also, in order to make the transportation between the city and towns more conveniently, 94 million acres of PNW forest were granted.  Also, influenced by the population growth, although the tech of agriculture have already archived big progress , the farm land still unavoidably expand urgently which makes farmer have to occupy a lot of forest land to meet the demand. For PNW forests, a lot of land was buy by farmers at very low price and then turn this land to farmland after civil war.

Solution

After we know the where the issue are, it is very important for us to balance the development of agriculture and city between the protection of PNW forest. Since more and more forest land are converted to commercial land, it is very necessary to take action to protect the forest. One of the important ways to ask government to take action and give some policy that enables land owner willing to not turn this land to commercial. ’The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Cascade Land Conservancy are working together to slow or reverse this trend. One of the best ways to attack the growing conversion of land is a simple one: Keep working land working. Keep the economic value in growing forests or farming. Give landowners an alternative to development.  The protection organizations each work toward this shared belief: The Conservancy has helped conserve more than 155,000 acres in the state; DNR has halted the conversion of thousands of acres of forests through land trades and acquisitions.’ ^[6] Another important way is to advertise the significance of PNW forest and let more and more people realize protecting the PNW forest is the responsibility of every one and every citizen will be benefited from the better environment of PNW forest because PNW forest has high value of economics for local people. In the end, to stop the conversion of the PNW forest, make more organization and more people to engage in conserving the PNW forest is the most important.