Starting in Maryland

The stand-off between developers who are building for transplants and the long-time communities who have deep roots in the community will only continue to creep down the Delmarva peninsula. Check out this New York Times article about eco-terrorism to sabotage new development.

A couple weeks ago, it was clear that something was afoot. Under the very pristine and quiet atmosphere that typifies the Eastern Shore, land-use conflicts were brewing in dirty ways.



What's interesting about this particular Maryland case is that the density of new housing being built is out of context. Tim Henley, a geologist who prepared an environmental impact study for Save Araby, Mattawoman and Mason Springs (SAMMS), said, "

If development must proceed, lots should cover several acres. Hunters Brooke has quarter-acre lots.

The rule-of-thumb of higher density to consolidate impact is only creating a greater strain in this place - it does little to alleviate it.

There is no straightforward formula to how best to use land. But one die-hard principle that is becoming evermore significant, is that context of the land must be paramount. This sounds so obvious, but it is so rarely carried out. The photos posted below are from Assateague, thankfully protected by the National Park Service. Most land on this stretch do not have that kind of protection. It's clear that unless people recognize that it is their desire to live in new developments that strain natural resources, there won't be any more hawks left to see.