1. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture

2. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Impacts of Sprawl
-NRI 87-92 vs. 92-97
 Conversions up from
 1.2 Million Acres per year to
 2.2 Million Acres per year

3. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
National Map

4. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Conversions
American Converted 6,000,000 Acres
from 92-97
 (=~12Alabama Counties)
Conversions are a one time crop

5. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Alabama Map

6. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Alabama’s Standing
State ranks 13th in total conversions
 87-92 130,000 Acres (26K/yr)
 92-97 315,000 Acres (63K/yr)
State ranks 10th in Prime Farmland
losses to development

7. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Top 20

8. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Growth Factors
Population Growth & Migration
 0.96% population growth
Cheaper Land
Transportation Corridor Development
Spreading Infrastructure
Larger Lots
 2% / yr lot size

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Lot Size
1950’s
 Average < 1.0 acre / home site
1997
 Average > 1.8 acres / home site

16. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Other Factors
Absentee Ownership
Farm Revenue decreases
Off farm employment
Cheaper imports

17. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Cost of Community Services
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Services / $1.00 in Tax Revenue
Commercial
Farm / Forest
Residential

18. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Hidden Costs
Emergency response time increases
Fire response time increases
Insurance (ISO) ratings decrease
School bus route time increases
(Police response time decreased)

19. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Other Considerations
Smell
Dust
Slow vehicles
Chemicals

20. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Environmental Impacts
Farmland / Open land
 Storm water sponge
 Heat Island sink
 Air Quality buffer
All of these factors will have to be
mitigated upon conversion

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Food Production

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Opportunity Lost
•Eco Tourism
•Heritage Trails
•MicroFarm Enterprises
•Anything other than
Impervious Surfaces

23. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Help?
Land Trusts
 Up from 1 in the ’90’s to 7 in ’02
Farmland Protection Program
 $900,000
Forever Wild
The Nature Conservancy

24. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Options
Brownfield redevelopment
Greyfield redevelopment
Tax breaks
Mitigation Banks

25. 11/21/2002 Sustainable Agriculture
Sloss Phytoremediation

26. Paul Kennedy
USDA-NRCS
205.251-8139 x135
Paulk@cawaco.org
www.cawaco.org