** Western real estate boom drives livability, conservation crises
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Monday, September 27, 2021
Telluride and other Western resort towns are seeing housing and labor shortages as real estate booms | T ([link removed]) own of Telluride ([link removed])
Over the course of this year, the West has watched as newly-remote workers flee cities and head for the West to enjoy the outdoor lifestyles that make our region special. However, the pandemic-fueled real estate boom has begun pricing out locals from desirable mountain towns ([link removed]) , driving housing shortages that have cascading impacts across local communities.
Wealth inequality and housing problems aren't a new phenomenon in resort towns ([link removed]) like Telluride, Colorado or Jackson, Wyoming. However, those issues are getting worse. In response, some mountain towns are trying to slow the growth of short-term rentals ([link removed]) to ease housing and labor shortages. One proposed solution is a vacancy tax ([link removed]) , which adds a tax onto residential properties that are vacant for a certain amount of the year. While a vacancy tax could certainly help ease shortages, short-term rental owners are pushing back
([link removed]) , pointing out that such rentals help drive the booming outdoor recreation economies that prop up the community.
The booming housing market across the West—partially driven by the COVID-19 Zoom boom ([link removed]) —doesn't just impact livability and wealth inequality. It also imperils ecosystems and land conservation, raising the question of what the West will look like as it evolves into the future.
The rapid rate of Western development could mean trouble for big-game migrations ([link removed]) as prime habitat is snapped up. “It’s death by a thousand cuts, it’s not one big project it’s a bunch of tiny projects, they are approved at the individual level and are not looked at cumulatively,” says ([link removed]) Rick Ward the Deer and Elk Program Coordinator at Idaho Fish and Game. “By the time you can recognize that there has been an impact, it’s too late.”
At the same time, skyrocketing real estate prices are imperiling private land conservation efforts ([link removed]) . In the past, local county taxes have helped preserve high-impact land parcels near urban areas. Now, properties are too expensive and land conservancies are seeing major conservation funders walking away ([link removed]) from high-priority projects based on the price of land.
It seems likely that Western development will continue to skyrocket. As people move into the region, there is an opportunity for Westerners to re-think how we plan our communities. Research has found that urban areas can help protect more biodiversity than previously realized ([link removed]) , as long as they are planned appropriately. In order to prevent sprawl from rapidly impacting the landscapes and wildlife that make the West special, cities and towns will need to rapidly look toward solutions like zoning changes, higher-density development, and natural spaces integrated into the fabric of our built environment.
Quick hits
** Secretary Haaland has 'every confidence' Biden will restore Utah monuments
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E&E News ([link removed])
** Opinion: Colorado can and should do more to protect wildlands
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Daily Sentinel ([link removed])
** Crowded national parks have turned to reservation systems—and some are considering keeping them
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Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
** See the dozens of offshore oil spills caused by Hurricane Ida
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New York Times ([link removed])
** Even Colorado's largest wildfire was no match for beavers
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KUNC ([link removed])
** Interior oil drilling approvals take a dive
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E&E News ([link removed])
** Oregon has a new plan to protect homes from wildfire. Homebuilders are pushing back
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National Public Radio ([link removed])
** The public lands that kept us sane: stories in honor of National Public Lands Day
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High Country News ([link removed])
Quote of the day
The irresponsible actions of the [Montana] legislature, the governor, and the Fish & Wildlife Commission are destroying FWP’s reputation as one of the finest and most professional state wildlife agencies in the country, are undermining Montana’s past conservation achievements, and jeopardizing FWP’s credibility and ability to manage Montana’s wildlife resources in a responsible and ethical manner... Their short-sighted efforts almost guarantee relisting of wolves and loss of state directed wildlife management... Montana deserves better!
—Six former Montana Wildlife Commisioners, all hunters, M ([link removed]) ountain Journal ([link removed])
Picture this
** @ ([link removed]) KatmaiNPS ([link removed])
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Bear buffs around the world, rejoice! We are only three days away from #FatBearWeek ([link removed]) ! Which bear do you think has earned the coveted title of Queen or King of Chonk? Follow all the action and cast your vote at [link removed] ([link removed]) starting on the 29th. NPS Photo/C. Spencer
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