"Sustainability and Janesville's Comprehensive Plan" by Julie Beckenkeller

Sustainability – preserving working lands for future food growth.

Janesville’s Planning Commission has voted to send the City’s Comprehensive Plan to the City Council for adoption. Commission member McDonald made a logical argument, when he stated that this “Smart Growth” plan does nothing to actually protect vital farmland from development. It may slow development, but there is no protection element to the plan. If you haven’t reviewed the plan for yourself, then log onto the City’s website, and click on the link to the left for Comprehensive Plan.

As a member of Janesville’s Sustainability Committee, I remind myself continually what it means to be sustainable, with every decision. The EPA’s website defines sustainability as “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In regard to farmland preservation, should this plan be considered sustainable by the citizens of Janesville?
According to the National Geographic Magazine, the future rests on the soil beneath our feet. This year food shortages, caused in part by the diminishing quantity and quality of the world's soil have led to riots in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. By 2030, when today's toddlers have toddlers of their own, 8.3 billion people will walk the Earth; to feed them, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates, farmers will have to grow almost 30 percent more grain than they do now. Connoisseurs of human recklessness will appreciate that even as humankind is ratcheting up its demands on soil, we are destroying it faster than ever before. "Taking the long view, we are running out of dirt," says David R. Montgomery, a geologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The plan admittedly earmarks more land than actually needed for the future projected growth of the City of Janesville, much of that growth is out, instead of up. In light of the recent economic situation, perhaps a closer look, an ounce of precaution, should be taken.
In communities across the nation, there is a growing concern that current development patterns -- dominated by what some call "sprawl" -- are no longer in the long-term interest of our cities, existing suburbs, small towns, rural communities, or wilderness areas. Though supportive of growth, communities are questioning the economic costs of abandoning infrastructure in the city, only to rebuild it further out. (smartgrowth.org)
“The comprehensive planning law, written only 10 years ago, uses terminology that today is outdated as a roadmap to the future. It tells us to plan for transportation and utilities, but doesn’t say a word about climate change, energy conservation or sustainability. As a result, we’re driving full speed ahead into the past”. Writer Rich Eggleston
Local programs are not yet completely in place for landowners to protect their farmland, and need to consider both farmland conservation and a land owner’s rights. Conservation easements would permanently protect land from development, but landowners would have to donate their land, instead of getting paid for it, because there is currently no land trust fund set aside in Rock County. Yet.
If you are interested in commenting on the Comprehensive Plan, contact Janesville’s City Council at citycouncil@ci.janesville.wi.us