By John Kennedy
As the world’s climate warms, some assume that while some parts of the Earth will lose, others will win, and that the planet will continue to be able to sustain the human race.
This is not the case, said Merrill Singer, a professor of anthropology, and Brenda Shaw, associate professor of chemistry, both from the University of Connecticut.
Singer and Shaw recently participated in a panel discussion at the Storrs campus about climate change and other environmental crises.
Shaw said that even though facts about climate change have been known for at least 40 years, we continue to make negative environmental choices in favor of becoming more profitable.
As populations around the world continue to grow, especially in Asia, not much, if anything, is being done to control it, Shaw said. She suggested that many believe that with more people, more goods will be available to sell.
“We tacitly support explosive population growth because it’s good for the [national profit],” Shaw said.
Many of these Asian countries, where people are often crowded near bodies of water, putting them at risk of flooding from rising sea levels, are commonly cited among the “losers” in global warming, Singer said. Drought-prone African countries and arid regions of central Asia are also considered to be “losers.” If the climate in these places continues to warm – up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas – these regions will receive even less water and there will be widespread famine.
Most of the “winners” in global warming, according to Singer, include the higher latitudes in both hemispheres – areas like the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Argentina, as well as Canada and most of the contiguous United States. These parts of the world are predicted to benefit from global warming because it will extend their growing seasons.
However, Singer said, global warming is not a one-dimensional problem, and disasters in one place could have an impact elsewhere. Countries that are expected to be better off in the warmer climate might be inundated with environmental refugees from the places that are hit with famine and drought. Diseases, like malaria and certain water-borne pathogens, will begin to move with the changing climate, infecting areas that are not used to dealing with them.
“These things interact,” Singer said. “They accelerate each other in certain ways.”
Even crops that are slated to benefit from a warmer climate and extended growing season may face new problems, Singer said. Areas that anticipate spring runoff from melting snowfall will no longer receive it, since the winter snows will have turned to rain. Insects that were previously controlled by a colder climate will begin to flourish, posing a threat to crops and other vegetation.
Singer gave the example of some West Coast forests that once, when viewed from the air, resembled solid green carpets and are now dotted with the brown of dead and dying trees. The culprit? Bark beetles. In warmer temperatures, their metabolism speeds up, increasing the number of times they can reproduce, and the warmer winters don’t kill as many of their larvae. With higher numbers of these beetles attacking trees for a longer period of time, these forests are showing signs of deterioration.
It would appear, Shaw said, that the current model for meeting human needs, where profit is of the utmost importance, has failed.
Instead, Shaw suggests we adopt a new model, one that sets standards for meeting human needs while keeping sustainability for health, the environment, society and the economy.
Singer also said that the problem is not understood enough to accurately predict all of the consequences. By 2100, Singer said, Minnesota – one of the projected “winners” in global warming – could have the climate of either Arkansas and Missouri or the Mojave Desert, no one knows for sure.
Plus, Singer said, “If there is rampant starvation in many parts of the world, will milder winters in Minnesota feel like winning?”
Sunday, December 20, 2009
A Prof. Shows a Sentimental Attachment to Kettle Ponds
By Ellis Sant’Andrea
Robert Thorson loves kettle lakes.
Thorson, a professor of geology at the University of Connecticut, says that he is “really sentimentally attached to kettle lakes in a big way,” because he and his twin brother were raised each summer on Union Lake, a kettle lake in Minnesota.
Kettle lakes and ponds are bodies of fresh water “created by downward or inward melting of a stagnant block of ice,” he said. That definition comes from his new book, Beyond Walden.
In the Northeast, said Thorson, kettle ponds and lakes are underappreciated because “there is so much else to look at.” He added that the “kettle lake culture is much stronger in the Midwest.”
Thorson has been on the lecture circuit to discuss his new book and recently he talked about it and brought a slideshow at a program at UConn sponsored by the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History.
A kettle pond is less than 10 acres. This figure, said Thorson, was arbitrarily picked in 1634 in New Hampshire when people were figuring out their amounts of farmland. These ponds are perennial, meaning they are always filled with water, he said.
Walden Pond, a 102-foot-deep kettle pond, is located in Concord, Mass and was home to Henry David Thoreau from 1845 to 1847. It was here that conservation and management of the environment first became a concern, said Thorson, thanks to Thoreau’s book Walden.
“In fact,” Thorson pointed out, “not one kettle lake state joined the Confederacy.”
Thorson views his approach to geology as “environmental studies, not [environmental] science.” This is because kettle ponds, and many other aspects of geology, have a lot to do with “literature, history and feelings more than data,” he said.
He spent the beginning of his talk discussing what exactly constitutes a kettle pond.
“Kettle” comes from the water body’s pot-like appearance. Although they appear to be man-made, kettle ponds are not gouged out. They are filled with fresh water that is “meteoric,” meaning it originates as precipitation and becomes groundwater. None of the water in these ponds comes from glaciers, said Thorson.
Since they are groundwater fed, there are no inlets or outlets in kettle ponds. They are surrounded by steep banks and are sand dominant.
There are also several other types of kettle-prefixed bodies of water. A kettle hole is a kettle pond that has been dried out. Kettle pools are only filled with water seasonally. A kettle lake is over 10 acres, and a salt pond is a kettle body of water that has been breached.
At 62 acres, Walden Pond is technically a lake, said Thorson.
It is easy for development to occur on kettle lakes and ponds, he said, because they are already surrounded with sand and don’t require blasting.
However, “hyper-development” around them, such as septic tanks and sewer systems, may be destructive, he said.
The future of kettle ponds is also threatened by climate change. Thorson said that global warming could threaten fresh water supplies. If people turn to kettle ponds, they could dry them up.
Robert Thorson loves kettle lakes.
Thorson, a professor of geology at the University of Connecticut, says that he is “really sentimentally attached to kettle lakes in a big way,” because he and his twin brother were raised each summer on Union Lake, a kettle lake in Minnesota.
Kettle lakes and ponds are bodies of fresh water “created by downward or inward melting of a stagnant block of ice,” he said. That definition comes from his new book, Beyond Walden.
In the Northeast, said Thorson, kettle ponds and lakes are underappreciated because “there is so much else to look at.” He added that the “kettle lake culture is much stronger in the Midwest.”
Thorson has been on the lecture circuit to discuss his new book and recently he talked about it and brought a slideshow at a program at UConn sponsored by the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History.
A kettle pond is less than 10 acres. This figure, said Thorson, was arbitrarily picked in 1634 in New Hampshire when people were figuring out their amounts of farmland. These ponds are perennial, meaning they are always filled with water, he said.
Walden Pond, a 102-foot-deep kettle pond, is located in Concord, Mass and was home to Henry David Thoreau from 1845 to 1847. It was here that conservation and management of the environment first became a concern, said Thorson, thanks to Thoreau’s book Walden.
“In fact,” Thorson pointed out, “not one kettle lake state joined the Confederacy.”
Thorson views his approach to geology as “environmental studies, not [environmental] science.” This is because kettle ponds, and many other aspects of geology, have a lot to do with “literature, history and feelings more than data,” he said.
He spent the beginning of his talk discussing what exactly constitutes a kettle pond.
“Kettle” comes from the water body’s pot-like appearance. Although they appear to be man-made, kettle ponds are not gouged out. They are filled with fresh water that is “meteoric,” meaning it originates as precipitation and becomes groundwater. None of the water in these ponds comes from glaciers, said Thorson.
Since they are groundwater fed, there are no inlets or outlets in kettle ponds. They are surrounded by steep banks and are sand dominant.
There are also several other types of kettle-prefixed bodies of water. A kettle hole is a kettle pond that has been dried out. Kettle pools are only filled with water seasonally. A kettle lake is over 10 acres, and a salt pond is a kettle body of water that has been breached.
At 62 acres, Walden Pond is technically a lake, said Thorson.
It is easy for development to occur on kettle lakes and ponds, he said, because they are already surrounded with sand and don’t require blasting.
However, “hyper-development” around them, such as septic tanks and sewer systems, may be destructive, he said.
The future of kettle ponds is also threatened by climate change. Thorson said that global warming could threaten fresh water supplies. If people turn to kettle ponds, they could dry them up.
Farming is Hip but Challenging
By Ellis Sant’Andrea
When Matt Oricchio was 14, he wanted to raise chickens.
“My parents thought I was nuts,” said Oricchio, now a senior at the University of Connecticut where he studies plant science, ecology, natural resources and animal science.
Oricchio didn’t grow up on a farm, but his parents did have a big flower garden. He said his interest in animals and farming was “haphazard. ” He got some eggs from a nearby farm and built his own incubator, a process that taught him basic electric and carpentry skills. He also started a small garden in his back yard.
“I’m not sure they understand,” said Oricchio. “But if it makes me happy, that’s fine with them.”
Seven years later, he is now president of UConn’s EcoGarden club, a group of students who practice sustainable living by growing food in a plot of land behind the local hardware store.
They sell their produce to anyone who is interested, including one of the dining halls on campus.
From 1997 to 2002, the number of farmers under age 34 rose from 68,509 to 70,393, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two years ago, however, that number fell to 50,579 and the percentage of farmers under age 25 was nearly cut in half.
Despite those numbers, there are still many environmentally savvy 20somethings like Oricchio who believe that there is a future in farming.
Thirty-one-year-old Erica Andrews, who owns Hurricane Farm with her husband Chris Andrews in Scotland, Conn, said, “our generation is becoming realistic that maybe the future of where we get things can’t always be overseas…[young people] are wising up about the environment…we see this differently than other generations.”
Greg Swartz, a director at New York’s Northeast Organic Farming Association, said last year’s 26th annual conference saw a record-breaking 1,000 attendees. Normally, the crowd is composed of senior citizens, but this time, there were an “amazing number” of youths with an interested in farming, and many who already had their own farms.
Four years ago, Benjamin Shute was living in uber-trendy Williamsburg, NY, a section of Brooklyn. He was raised on the Upper East Side and graduated from Amherst College, where he studied cultural anthropology.
After school, he worked on an Oregon vegetable farm and then moved back to New York for an office job. While in the city, he gardened in the community.
“The more I thought about it, the more I missed doing things on the farm,” said Shute. He wanted to pursue an agricultural life, but found it difficult to obtain the land he needed.
Thomas Hoagland, a professor of animal science at the University of Connecticut, said if your family doesn’t already own land that you can inherit, obtaining it is almost impossible due to expense, especially in the Northeast.
One acre in Mansfield, Conn. can sell for $80,000, while the best acre of land in Illinois could sell for $3,200 per acre, according to Hoagland.
Eventually, Shute found property he could rent in Tivoli, NY, where he now runs 25 acres known as Hearty Roots.
Schute is 31 and his partner on the farm, Miriam Latzer, is 33. In the summer, they hire a crew of roughly 10 people, all who happen to be under the age of 35.
Hearty Roots is an organic farm and is part of a Farm Share Program. Members of this program “receive a bountiful array of just-picked produce all season long,” says the Hearty Roots’ website. They currently serve about 1,000 households.
This system is based off of the Community Supported Agriculture model in which members pay a farmer to periodically supply them with fresh produce. Hundreds of small farms around the world use this system.
Schute said there has been a youth surge in agriculture because of “an awakening for the opportunity to do something fun, satisfying, productive…and you can be your own boss.”
Being a farmer in the midst of a suffering economy seems like it would be a rough life, but not for Shute.
“The good thing about farming is it is something we will always need. There is plenty of demand for produce since people want to cook at home instead of going out.”
Hoagland said you “have to have it in your blood. It’s the same enticement as when you start your own business. It’s the American way. You are in control of what’s going on around you…farms are an ideal way of doing that.”
Oricchio said keeping a one-acre field requires 120 man-hours per week to maintain a sustainable garden.
“It’s not easy living this lifestyle,” said Erica Andrews. “You need to make room for the necessities, like not having an iPod.”
“It’s a different quality of life,” said Hoagland. “No new cars, no $400,000 houses…you have to sacrifice that kind of stuff to have land and equipment.”
“You or your partner would have to have a second job to augment the income in some way,” he said, especially in an expensive area like the Northeast. “Or else you couldn’t do it.”
But Erica Andrews said there seems to be new interest in the public in farming. A film crew shooting an independent documentary about farming in Connecticut came to Hurricane Farm to feature the Andrews. The movie will be a follow up to an earlier film, “The Farmer’s Voice.”
Another documentary film in the works, “The Greenhorns,” follows the lives of several young farmers in America. Also, Erica Andrews was also a guest on the Colin McEnroe radio show on Connecticut’s Public Broadcasting Network earlier this month.
“It’s hip to be organic,” she said.
Hoagland said the reason is simple. “We are losing open space. The people who preserve it are interesting.”
According to Hoagland, the key to having a successful small farm is originality. “You have to have something unique that you can charge extra for,” he said. “Out of all the milk farms, the ones that do well have veggie stands, tours, corn mazes…it’s more profitable to [sell things to people individually] for five times as much than to do commercial production.”
When Matt Oricchio was 14, he wanted to raise chickens.
“My parents thought I was nuts,” said Oricchio, now a senior at the University of Connecticut where he studies plant science, ecology, natural resources and animal science.
Oricchio didn’t grow up on a farm, but his parents did have a big flower garden. He said his interest in animals and farming was “haphazard. ” He got some eggs from a nearby farm and built his own incubator, a process that taught him basic electric and carpentry skills. He also started a small garden in his back yard.
“I’m not sure they understand,” said Oricchio. “But if it makes me happy, that’s fine with them.”
Seven years later, he is now president of UConn’s EcoGarden club, a group of students who practice sustainable living by growing food in a plot of land behind the local hardware store.
They sell their produce to anyone who is interested, including one of the dining halls on campus.
From 1997 to 2002, the number of farmers under age 34 rose from 68,509 to 70,393, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two years ago, however, that number fell to 50,579 and the percentage of farmers under age 25 was nearly cut in half.
Despite those numbers, there are still many environmentally savvy 20somethings like Oricchio who believe that there is a future in farming.
Thirty-one-year-old Erica Andrews, who owns Hurricane Farm with her husband Chris Andrews in Scotland, Conn, said, “our generation is becoming realistic that maybe the future of where we get things can’t always be overseas…[young people] are wising up about the environment…we see this differently than other generations.”
Greg Swartz, a director at New York’s Northeast Organic Farming Association, said last year’s 26th annual conference saw a record-breaking 1,000 attendees. Normally, the crowd is composed of senior citizens, but this time, there were an “amazing number” of youths with an interested in farming, and many who already had their own farms.
Four years ago, Benjamin Shute was living in uber-trendy Williamsburg, NY, a section of Brooklyn. He was raised on the Upper East Side and graduated from Amherst College, where he studied cultural anthropology.
After school, he worked on an Oregon vegetable farm and then moved back to New York for an office job. While in the city, he gardened in the community.
“The more I thought about it, the more I missed doing things on the farm,” said Shute. He wanted to pursue an agricultural life, but found it difficult to obtain the land he needed.
Thomas Hoagland, a professor of animal science at the University of Connecticut, said if your family doesn’t already own land that you can inherit, obtaining it is almost impossible due to expense, especially in the Northeast.
One acre in Mansfield, Conn. can sell for $80,000, while the best acre of land in Illinois could sell for $3,200 per acre, according to Hoagland.
Eventually, Shute found property he could rent in Tivoli, NY, where he now runs 25 acres known as Hearty Roots.
Schute is 31 and his partner on the farm, Miriam Latzer, is 33. In the summer, they hire a crew of roughly 10 people, all who happen to be under the age of 35.
Hearty Roots is an organic farm and is part of a Farm Share Program. Members of this program “receive a bountiful array of just-picked produce all season long,” says the Hearty Roots’ website. They currently serve about 1,000 households.
This system is based off of the Community Supported Agriculture model in which members pay a farmer to periodically supply them with fresh produce. Hundreds of small farms around the world use this system.
Schute said there has been a youth surge in agriculture because of “an awakening for the opportunity to do something fun, satisfying, productive…and you can be your own boss.”
Being a farmer in the midst of a suffering economy seems like it would be a rough life, but not for Shute.
“The good thing about farming is it is something we will always need. There is plenty of demand for produce since people want to cook at home instead of going out.”
Hoagland said you “have to have it in your blood. It’s the same enticement as when you start your own business. It’s the American way. You are in control of what’s going on around you…farms are an ideal way of doing that.”
Oricchio said keeping a one-acre field requires 120 man-hours per week to maintain a sustainable garden.
“It’s not easy living this lifestyle,” said Erica Andrews. “You need to make room for the necessities, like not having an iPod.”
“It’s a different quality of life,” said Hoagland. “No new cars, no $400,000 houses…you have to sacrifice that kind of stuff to have land and equipment.”
“You or your partner would have to have a second job to augment the income in some way,” he said, especially in an expensive area like the Northeast. “Or else you couldn’t do it.”
But Erica Andrews said there seems to be new interest in the public in farming. A film crew shooting an independent documentary about farming in Connecticut came to Hurricane Farm to feature the Andrews. The movie will be a follow up to an earlier film, “The Farmer’s Voice.”
Another documentary film in the works, “The Greenhorns,” follows the lives of several young farmers in America. Also, Erica Andrews was also a guest on the Colin McEnroe radio show on Connecticut’s Public Broadcasting Network earlier this month.
“It’s hip to be organic,” she said.
Hoagland said the reason is simple. “We are losing open space. The people who preserve it are interesting.”
According to Hoagland, the key to having a successful small farm is originality. “You have to have something unique that you can charge extra for,” he said. “Out of all the milk farms, the ones that do well have veggie stands, tours, corn mazes…it’s more profitable to [sell things to people individually] for five times as much than to do commercial production.”
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tolland Struggles to Preserve Past While Prepare for Future
By Jeremy Katz
TOLLAND—Towns throughout the country are struggling with two competing interests as the needs of populations change: conservation and development.
Like many small communities in Connecticut, the fourth most urbanized state in the nation, Tolland seeks to retain its New England charm while developing economically and increasing revenue, which comes mainly from property taxes.
A 10-year development plan recently adopted by the Tolland Planning and Zoning Commission seeks to balance meeting the growing needs of its more than 14,000 residents while preserving the town’s open space and small-town appeal.
Supporters say the plan will establish a town center and will meet the changing housing needs of the town’s citizens. Critics say the plan will lead to more urban sprawl and have little effect on homeowners’ tax bills.
“Tolland should stay a small town,” says Jackie Gracizyk, a homeowner who has lived in Tolland for 32 years. “My homeowner’s taxes have still gone up even with new businesses like Big Y (supermarket) coming in.”
“As far as development, there are pros and cons,” says Mandla Tuthill, a homeowner who moved to Tolland in January. Keeping the historical town green and surrounding buildings intact are important, but from an economic standpoint development could be good, creating jobs in town, says Tuthill.
Gracizyk says that while homeowners shoulder much of the burden in Tolland, more businesses have not proven to lower taxes in the past.
“Stop spending money on useless things,” says Gracizyk.
Tuthill, who purchased a house in Tolland along with his wife Colleen after looking at 50 houses during a 10-month search, says he would not be opposed to new development.
Adopted Nov. 15, 2009, the plan seeks to establish a town center and address the need for a more diverse range of housing, centering on plans to develop along Route 195 between exit 68 off of Interstate 84 and the historic Tolland Town Green.
The development, called the “Tolland Village Area,” will include senior housing, townhouses, businesses, walkways and bikeways.
The plan provides guidelines so that development is “consistent with New England village architecture.” Goals are to develop more intensely along the “gateway area” adjacent to Interstate 84, and provide a transition leading into the Historic District, which is less than a mile up the road.
Linda Farmer, director of planning and community development, says that during public meetings older residents expressed a desire to downsize their homes as they got older without moving out of the town.
“There was an overwhelming request for more apartments, condos, and townhouses,” says Farmer.
She also says there has been interest in building a hotel near the exit, which could accommodate visitors to the nearby University of Connecticut.
During the two years of developing the plan, the one issue that was continually raised by residents was how to preserve the character and feel of the town, which was named the “27th Best Small Town To Live in America” by Money Magazine in 2009.
Gracizyk supports open space programs in the town, and spoke of a recent petition to support a dog park near Crandall Pond.
She is strongly opposed to the 10-year plan, and is an employee of a Mobil station located right in the center of the planned development along Route 195. Gracizyk says that the one thing the town needs is a “nice Country Restaurant” where people could go out and eat dinner at.
Tuthill said that he was aware of Tolland’s small town appeal, but recalled driving through the town green area for the first time with his wife.
“As I was driving through, I was like this is it,” says Tuthill. “This is the center of the town.”
He said he was not opposed to the proposed development, but could see how people would be wary of increased traffic.
Farmer says that the development will use “open space overlay,” meaning a combination of open space areas abutting the new development. She also says that the town’s Open Space and Conservation Plan has designated for preservation over 1,000 acres of open land in the last 10 years.
A central theme Farmer expressed was “sustainable development,” which emphasizes minimizing the impact on the environment and maximizing the use of the commercially zoned land in the town. The plan seeks to take advantage of the space along Interstate 84, and build multiple story buildings with some storefront businesses and housing above, says Farmer.
According to the town plan, the last decade saw rapid population growth in Tolland, but things have slowed recently. The town consists of 93 percent single-family housing, which paid over $30 million in taxes in the fiscal year 2008, but received almost $32 million in services. The new development attempts to create more diverse housing options, such as apartments and condos, both of which paid more in taxes than they received in services in 2008.
Tolland has over 26,000 acres of land, according to the 2009 Plan of Conservation and Development, with only one percent zoned for commercial and industrial use. Open Space compromises 19 percent of the land, with 33 percent of the town’s land vacant.
The town’s open space program consists of state and town-owned land, along with resident-owned land. A state law designed to preserve land throughout Connecticut, includes three categories: farm, forest, and open-space. Open space land can be applied for if the area exceeds 10.5 acres, and is approved after a public hearing, says Walter Lawrence, Tolland’s Tax Assessor.
The land cannot be developed for a period of ten years, says Lawrence, with a sliding-scale penalty to be paid upon change in the land’s use. The owner pays lower taxes on the land, based on the assessed value outlined in the state law, which is adjusted every 5 years.
The challenge remains how to balance economic development with the town’s preservation programs, which Farmer says are some of the most effective in the state.
While Tolland struggles with how to retain the identity of a small town, the surrounding towns have experienced similar struggles.
Gracizyk mentioned Manchester and Ellington, communities that have developed in recent years, as examples of what Tolland should avoid.
As Connecticut is a small state with many citizens to support, the struggles over conservation and development will only intensify in towns all over, especially in the current economic climate.
“We’re looking for a combination of both,” says Tuthill.
TOLLAND—Towns throughout the country are struggling with two competing interests as the needs of populations change: conservation and development.
Like many small communities in Connecticut, the fourth most urbanized state in the nation, Tolland seeks to retain its New England charm while developing economically and increasing revenue, which comes mainly from property taxes.
A 10-year development plan recently adopted by the Tolland Planning and Zoning Commission seeks to balance meeting the growing needs of its more than 14,000 residents while preserving the town’s open space and small-town appeal.
Supporters say the plan will establish a town center and will meet the changing housing needs of the town’s citizens. Critics say the plan will lead to more urban sprawl and have little effect on homeowners’ tax bills.
“Tolland should stay a small town,” says Jackie Gracizyk, a homeowner who has lived in Tolland for 32 years. “My homeowner’s taxes have still gone up even with new businesses like Big Y (supermarket) coming in.”
“As far as development, there are pros and cons,” says Mandla Tuthill, a homeowner who moved to Tolland in January. Keeping the historical town green and surrounding buildings intact are important, but from an economic standpoint development could be good, creating jobs in town, says Tuthill.
Gracizyk says that while homeowners shoulder much of the burden in Tolland, more businesses have not proven to lower taxes in the past.
“Stop spending money on useless things,” says Gracizyk.
Tuthill, who purchased a house in Tolland along with his wife Colleen after looking at 50 houses during a 10-month search, says he would not be opposed to new development.
Adopted Nov. 15, 2009, the plan seeks to establish a town center and address the need for a more diverse range of housing, centering on plans to develop along Route 195 between exit 68 off of Interstate 84 and the historic Tolland Town Green.
The development, called the “Tolland Village Area,” will include senior housing, townhouses, businesses, walkways and bikeways.
The plan provides guidelines so that development is “consistent with New England village architecture.” Goals are to develop more intensely along the “gateway area” adjacent to Interstate 84, and provide a transition leading into the Historic District, which is less than a mile up the road.
Linda Farmer, director of planning and community development, says that during public meetings older residents expressed a desire to downsize their homes as they got older without moving out of the town.
“There was an overwhelming request for more apartments, condos, and townhouses,” says Farmer.
She also says there has been interest in building a hotel near the exit, which could accommodate visitors to the nearby University of Connecticut.
During the two years of developing the plan, the one issue that was continually raised by residents was how to preserve the character and feel of the town, which was named the “27th Best Small Town To Live in America” by Money Magazine in 2009.
Gracizyk supports open space programs in the town, and spoke of a recent petition to support a dog park near Crandall Pond.
She is strongly opposed to the 10-year plan, and is an employee of a Mobil station located right in the center of the planned development along Route 195. Gracizyk says that the one thing the town needs is a “nice Country Restaurant” where people could go out and eat dinner at.
Tuthill said that he was aware of Tolland’s small town appeal, but recalled driving through the town green area for the first time with his wife.
“As I was driving through, I was like this is it,” says Tuthill. “This is the center of the town.”
He said he was not opposed to the proposed development, but could see how people would be wary of increased traffic.
Farmer says that the development will use “open space overlay,” meaning a combination of open space areas abutting the new development. She also says that the town’s Open Space and Conservation Plan has designated for preservation over 1,000 acres of open land in the last 10 years.
A central theme Farmer expressed was “sustainable development,” which emphasizes minimizing the impact on the environment and maximizing the use of the commercially zoned land in the town. The plan seeks to take advantage of the space along Interstate 84, and build multiple story buildings with some storefront businesses and housing above, says Farmer.
According to the town plan, the last decade saw rapid population growth in Tolland, but things have slowed recently. The town consists of 93 percent single-family housing, which paid over $30 million in taxes in the fiscal year 2008, but received almost $32 million in services. The new development attempts to create more diverse housing options, such as apartments and condos, both of which paid more in taxes than they received in services in 2008.
Tolland has over 26,000 acres of land, according to the 2009 Plan of Conservation and Development, with only one percent zoned for commercial and industrial use. Open Space compromises 19 percent of the land, with 33 percent of the town’s land vacant.
The town’s open space program consists of state and town-owned land, along with resident-owned land. A state law designed to preserve land throughout Connecticut, includes three categories: farm, forest, and open-space. Open space land can be applied for if the area exceeds 10.5 acres, and is approved after a public hearing, says Walter Lawrence, Tolland’s Tax Assessor.
The land cannot be developed for a period of ten years, says Lawrence, with a sliding-scale penalty to be paid upon change in the land’s use. The owner pays lower taxes on the land, based on the assessed value outlined in the state law, which is adjusted every 5 years.
The challenge remains how to balance economic development with the town’s preservation programs, which Farmer says are some of the most effective in the state.
While Tolland struggles with how to retain the identity of a small town, the surrounding towns have experienced similar struggles.
Gracizyk mentioned Manchester and Ellington, communities that have developed in recent years, as examples of what Tolland should avoid.
As Connecticut is a small state with many citizens to support, the struggles over conservation and development will only intensify in towns all over, especially in the current economic climate.
“We’re looking for a combination of both,” says Tuthill.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
More Wildlife Mean More Complications
By Jack Sullivan
In June 2007, a vehicle collided with a moose on the Merritt Parkway in New Canaan, Conn. causing serious head injuries to the driver, a totaled car, and a moose that had to be euthanized.
While the currently thriving wildlife population in Connecticut is a testament to a healthy environment, some animals can clearly pose unwanted threats and issues to the public.
Over the past decade, the state has seen increases in the populations of such species as bobcats, coyotes, black bears, and moose, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Jenny Dickson, wildlife biologist for the DEP Wildlife Division, said the resident moose population is about 100, and that the bobcat population is between 200 and 400.
Dickson said that while populations have been increasing throughout the state, the northwestern corner in particular tends to be more heavily forested, providing a good habitat for many species to thrive and begin reproducing.
While moose are thriving, it is unclear whether the species is indigenous to Connecticut, said Andrew Labonte, a DEP wildlife biologist. The first officially recorded sighting of a moose in the state was a photograph taken in 1956, he said.
The first sighting of a moose cow with calves was in 2000, and the population has risen steadily ever since.
As the moose population continues to grow, Dickson said that public safety becomes a huge concern, because moose can be dangerous if they wander onto roads or highways.
A 700-pound moose was recently tranquilized in Middlebury, Conn., as it approached Interstate 84, according to an Associated Press report in September, 2009. Dickson said that the moose was moved to the Barkhamsted area, which is in the northwestern part of the state.
Labonte said that one out of every 50 vehicle collisions with a moose results in a human fatality. So far there have only been 22 total moose-vehicle collisions in the state, with 10 of them since 2006, said Labonte. So far none of the collisions have caused a human death.
“We are currently collecting data on the moose population so we can make decisions down the road,” said Dickson. “It really depends on where they settle down.”
In addition to moose, a much more common animal that causes car accidents is the deer, which is heavily populated throughout the state. Labonte said that from 2005-2008, there was an average of 2,213 deer killed annually by collisions with automobiles. He also said that that number only counts for the number of deer collisions that were reported, and that only about one in five vehicle-deer collisions get reported.
Labonte said that deer have a high reproductive rate, and have adapted well to human activity and land use. He said that since they have few natural predators besides human hunters, the populations can increase quickly, as it has been steadily since the 1970’s.
“The best way of controlling deer-vehicle accidents is by following posted speed limits and being extra alert during specific times of the year when deer tend to move a lot,” said Labonte.
Deer are most active during spring dispersal, which is May through July, and mating season, which is late October to mid-December.
Bobcats and coyotes are also thriving in the state, and while neither are threats to humans, both can pose problems to pets and livestock, said Dickson.
Bobcats are one of the animals that can especially be found around Litchfield County.
“The northwest corner tends to be forested, with a lot more closed canopy,” said Dickson. “There’s plenty of cover, which suits their hunting techniques and translates into a lot more food.”
The secretive cats are most active before dusk and after dawn, and tend to hunt alone, said Dickson. She said that while bobcats are capable of adapting to suburban development, they prefer rural terrain.
Dickson said that the state tends to give a range for the bobcat population because it is too difficult to count each animal due to their unusual behavior. She said that she thinks there is significantly more than 200 bobcats in the state right now, but not more than 400.
She said that bobcats are not overpopulated, and it has been illegal since 1972 to hunt or trap them. Paul Rego, a DEP wildlife biologist, said the ban was imposed because poaching had been a significant problem.
Unlike bobcats, coyotes adapt well to suburban development, and are found throughout the Connecticut. Their ability to adapt to human surroundings and development has led to a stable population, believed to be in the low thousands, according to Rego.
Dickson said the DEP advises people to supervise their pets, especially at night.
“Most people think that if I’m standing on my porch looking at my dog than it is good enough,” said Dickson. “Unfortunately, that is not the case. These are natural predators and it won’t take long to catch it and carry it off.”
For long-term safety, fencing a yard will help, but only somewhat. Cats and small dogs should be kept in at night, and if you need to take them out, accompany them on a leash. Most bobcats or coyotes will not approach a pet if it sees a human nearby, said Dickson.
In addition to bobcats and coyotes, black bears have also been flourishing in Connecticut. Dickson said that there is probably between 300 and 500 bears in the state , and that number is expected to rise.
According to the Rego, in the mid-1800s, black bears fell victim to both humans and a forest habitat that covered only about a quarter of the state’s terrain. The forest’s regrowth, which reached 60 to 70 percent forestland by the 1960s, has drawn the bears back.
While black bears usually tend to fear humans in the wilderness, they have a great drive for food, and if they continue to find it near residences or campsites, they can lose that fear and become regular visitors, according to the Rego.
The DEP urges citizens not to feed or attract bears, and to be responsible when taking out the trash or using the grill. If bears become a nuisance or damage property, the DEP may have to tranquilize and remove them, or destroy them altogether, according to the Dickson.
With the black bear population in the state increasing, interaction with humans is also increasing, said Rego. “Threats and nuisances include damaging bird feeders, raiding garbage, killing or injuring livestock and pets, other property damage (such as fences, outbuildings), damaging bee hives, damaging plants, and the very low probability of an attack on a human,” said Rego.
The best way to avoid conflict with black bears is to minimize the opportunities for them to obtain food on your property or campsite, said Dickson.
Biologists say while these increased number of wildlife is a healthy sign, the public must be aware that the animals do pose risks. The solution may be for humans, not the wildlife, to adapt.
In June 2007, a vehicle collided with a moose on the Merritt Parkway in New Canaan, Conn. causing serious head injuries to the driver, a totaled car, and a moose that had to be euthanized.
While the currently thriving wildlife population in Connecticut is a testament to a healthy environment, some animals can clearly pose unwanted threats and issues to the public.
Over the past decade, the state has seen increases in the populations of such species as bobcats, coyotes, black bears, and moose, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Jenny Dickson, wildlife biologist for the DEP Wildlife Division, said the resident moose population is about 100, and that the bobcat population is between 200 and 400.
Dickson said that while populations have been increasing throughout the state, the northwestern corner in particular tends to be more heavily forested, providing a good habitat for many species to thrive and begin reproducing.
While moose are thriving, it is unclear whether the species is indigenous to Connecticut, said Andrew Labonte, a DEP wildlife biologist. The first officially recorded sighting of a moose in the state was a photograph taken in 1956, he said.
The first sighting of a moose cow with calves was in 2000, and the population has risen steadily ever since.
As the moose population continues to grow, Dickson said that public safety becomes a huge concern, because moose can be dangerous if they wander onto roads or highways.
A 700-pound moose was recently tranquilized in Middlebury, Conn., as it approached Interstate 84, according to an Associated Press report in September, 2009. Dickson said that the moose was moved to the Barkhamsted area, which is in the northwestern part of the state.
Labonte said that one out of every 50 vehicle collisions with a moose results in a human fatality. So far there have only been 22 total moose-vehicle collisions in the state, with 10 of them since 2006, said Labonte. So far none of the collisions have caused a human death.
“We are currently collecting data on the moose population so we can make decisions down the road,” said Dickson. “It really depends on where they settle down.”
In addition to moose, a much more common animal that causes car accidents is the deer, which is heavily populated throughout the state. Labonte said that from 2005-2008, there was an average of 2,213 deer killed annually by collisions with automobiles. He also said that that number only counts for the number of deer collisions that were reported, and that only about one in five vehicle-deer collisions get reported.
Labonte said that deer have a high reproductive rate, and have adapted well to human activity and land use. He said that since they have few natural predators besides human hunters, the populations can increase quickly, as it has been steadily since the 1970’s.
“The best way of controlling deer-vehicle accidents is by following posted speed limits and being extra alert during specific times of the year when deer tend to move a lot,” said Labonte.
Deer are most active during spring dispersal, which is May through July, and mating season, which is late October to mid-December.
Bobcats and coyotes are also thriving in the state, and while neither are threats to humans, both can pose problems to pets and livestock, said Dickson.
Bobcats are one of the animals that can especially be found around Litchfield County.
“The northwest corner tends to be forested, with a lot more closed canopy,” said Dickson. “There’s plenty of cover, which suits their hunting techniques and translates into a lot more food.”
The secretive cats are most active before dusk and after dawn, and tend to hunt alone, said Dickson. She said that while bobcats are capable of adapting to suburban development, they prefer rural terrain.
Dickson said that the state tends to give a range for the bobcat population because it is too difficult to count each animal due to their unusual behavior. She said that she thinks there is significantly more than 200 bobcats in the state right now, but not more than 400.
She said that bobcats are not overpopulated, and it has been illegal since 1972 to hunt or trap them. Paul Rego, a DEP wildlife biologist, said the ban was imposed because poaching had been a significant problem.
Unlike bobcats, coyotes adapt well to suburban development, and are found throughout the Connecticut. Their ability to adapt to human surroundings and development has led to a stable population, believed to be in the low thousands, according to Rego.
Dickson said the DEP advises people to supervise their pets, especially at night.
“Most people think that if I’m standing on my porch looking at my dog than it is good enough,” said Dickson. “Unfortunately, that is not the case. These are natural predators and it won’t take long to catch it and carry it off.”
For long-term safety, fencing a yard will help, but only somewhat. Cats and small dogs should be kept in at night, and if you need to take them out, accompany them on a leash. Most bobcats or coyotes will not approach a pet if it sees a human nearby, said Dickson.
In addition to bobcats and coyotes, black bears have also been flourishing in Connecticut. Dickson said that there is probably between 300 and 500 bears in the state , and that number is expected to rise.
According to the Rego, in the mid-1800s, black bears fell victim to both humans and a forest habitat that covered only about a quarter of the state’s terrain. The forest’s regrowth, which reached 60 to 70 percent forestland by the 1960s, has drawn the bears back.
While black bears usually tend to fear humans in the wilderness, they have a great drive for food, and if they continue to find it near residences or campsites, they can lose that fear and become regular visitors, according to the Rego.
The DEP urges citizens not to feed or attract bears, and to be responsible when taking out the trash or using the grill. If bears become a nuisance or damage property, the DEP may have to tranquilize and remove them, or destroy them altogether, according to the Dickson.
With the black bear population in the state increasing, interaction with humans is also increasing, said Rego. “Threats and nuisances include damaging bird feeders, raiding garbage, killing or injuring livestock and pets, other property damage (such as fences, outbuildings), damaging bee hives, damaging plants, and the very low probability of an attack on a human,” said Rego.
The best way to avoid conflict with black bears is to minimize the opportunities for them to obtain food on your property or campsite, said Dickson.
Biologists say while these increased number of wildlife is a healthy sign, the public must be aware that the animals do pose risks. The solution may be for humans, not the wildlife, to adapt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)