fyi - Wisconsin DNR has some involvement with Smart Growth and other land use issues. As others have noted, land use has a significant impact on the quality, diversity and abundance of natural resources, and it is therefore fitting that a natural resources agency have some influence in these decisions.
Note that "Wisconsin law does not define smart growth, but it does focus community attention on the development and implementation of local comprehensive plans that foster local planning goals similar to the smart growth principles listed above (see link below). The statutes also stress the importance of citizen involvement, community visioning, and other types of public participation in the planning and plan adoption processes." More information on Smart Growth: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/landuse/smart/ As a parallel to WDNR being involved in land use to protect natural resources, it would appear that since the origins of "good" biking experiences and "bad" biking experiences are also both rooted in what humans do on the landscape, any bike advocacy group would be far more effective to address land use issues as a core part of its mission. Jeff Schimpff Bureau of Science Services Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "Bus, Bike, Walk or Carpool to Work for Clean Air for Kids" (*) phone: (608) 267- 7853 (*) fax: (608) 267-5231 (*) e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Westhagen Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 4:58 PM To: Pam Barrett; BikiesSubmissions Subject: Re: [Bikies] BFW & Smart Growth Dear Pam, But how is that different from those who build houses in areas with multiple land uses and demand through their politicians that "trees should not be harvested" "because that might disturb their panoramic view." Only a Ted Turner can buy land "as far as the eye can see." What gives you the right to demand that an area remain in the pattern which makes your bike style perfect for YOU? Advocating bicycle trails, lanes, crossings, racks etc., is totally different from trying to affect overall land usages by farmers, developers, and rural home owners. Just what makes land use "smart?" Pam Barrett wrote: > Briefly: > Appropriate (i.e.-Smart) land use planning is a major component that determines whether a place is easy to bike in AND through. Poor land use can kill any motivation that one might have to hop on their bike and ride. The Bike Fed should keep, as one of it's key focuses, advocating for land use planning that affords inhabitants of a space the opportunity to choose their mode of transportation. > > Pam Barrett > > ---- Matt Logan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Bikies, > > > > I am sure many of you are as concerned as I am about materials on > > the BFW website promoting Smart Growth being removed and what that > > may suggest about the future direction of the BFW. At this point > > all I know about it is what I have read in the e-mail from David > > Vogt. Given the problems with communication via e-mail, David and I > > will be meeting next week to discuss the issue in person. Hopefully > > this meeting will allow us to clarify exactly what is going on with > > regard to smart growth. I think it is wise at this point to be > > cautious about forming conclusions about the "new direction" of the > > BFW until after that meeting. I will update this list with information from that meeting. > > > > > > That being said, I believe there are still a few days left to get > > your ballots in for the BFW board elections, and it would be helpful > > if the candidates could clarify their positions on whether the BFW > > should promote Smart Growth. > > > > - Matt Logan. > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
