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When you send your letter to a newspaper, include your name, address and phone number for verification. E-mail is preferred.
You can cut and paste the following letter and mail or e-mail it to your local media to help spread the word about the benefits of conservation subdivisions.


Sample letter

Dear Editor,

Parcel by parcel, the rural areas we love in our town are "programmed to disappear", according to noted planner Randall Arendt, the nation's foremost authority on conservation subdivisions and a member of the national non-profit organization LandChoices' advisory group. Arendt says, "That’s right, programmed. Local zoning and subdivision ordinances serve as blueprints for converting undeveloped forest and fields into residential, commercial and industrial lots. Except for permanently protected open space, sooner or later those beloved woods and meadows are almost certain to disappear."

Arendt adds, "In other words, every acre of unpaved and buildable land is typically zoned for some type of development. Maybe it won’t happen tomorrow, but in the future your town probably will look very different. While development isn’t inherently bad, we must question whether current patterns of sprawl and over development are what we really want, or whether there is a better way."

"Landowners who view their property as their 'pension' no longer have to destroy their woods and fields in order to retire with a guaranteed income, as their equity is not diminished," says Arendt, commenting on conservation subdivisions.

Conservation subdivisions conserve 50-70%+ of the buildable land while allowing the same number of home sites as would be allowed with conventional subdivision development. Innovative conservation subdivisions are proven more profitable, faster selling and less costly than conventional "cookie cutter" subdivision developments. Conservation subdivisions protect clean water in lakes, rivers and streams and preserve working family farms, natural areas and wildlife. They are a win-win for landowners, developers, township officials, property values, family values and our community. Maybe it is time we updated our land use ordinances to make conservation subdivisions the everyday permitted use and preserve what we love best about our town. For more information and to download a free one page fact sheet on conservation subdivisions click on the "Supersize My Backyard" link at www.landchoices.org .

Sincerely, 

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