Ridgefield is a special town tucked away between the feet of three mountains and the marshy shores of the Columbia River. Ours is a land where the trumpets of geese lead us through rolling fields sprinkled with grand White Oak Trees. Ours is a place where children have the opportunity to adventure and explore uncharted area.
It’s time to quit complaining to the person sitting shotgun, as the destruction of our landscape goes zooming by in the window. Speak out. It’s time to take action and conserve our landscape! Here’s what we can do.
As a property owner, one has options in which to conserve their land. The two main ways to ensure the longevity of the open space they steward is by transferring the land to a trust organization or placing a conservation easement on the property (which removes certain development rights from a property for the purpose of protecting ecosystems, open space, and cultural heritage). A variety of groups exist in our area who work to facilitate land conservation:
• Our local Columbia Land Trust protects land and restores its natural ecosystem functions.
• Clark County will acquire property and easements through its Legacy Lands program.
• The Clark County Historic Preservation Commission protects the legacy of historic properties through placement on the Clark County Historic Register.
• The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has a Forest Legacy program.
• The city of Ridgefield is open to acquiring land and easements for open space protection.
Neighbors have the potential to connect land for a greater conservation impact. And each of the above entities have the potential to collaborate on conservation projects.
Whether one owns property or does not, there is still much to be accomplished. The city of Ridgefield should continue to strive for significant amounts of open space preservation in new residential and commercial developments. Additionally, development needs to blend with the landscape and support ecosystem health. These two goals can be accomplished through a new design ordinance that follows aspects of biophilic design.
Speak out. Let the Ridgefield City Council and the Ridgefield Planning Commission know that we want at least 50 percent of open space preserved, not just 25 percent, and for new development to match the integrity of Ridgefield’s landscape. The city can make this happen if we provide evidence that anything less will have a significant impact on the community and our landscape.
Currently, Clark County and Forterra are collaborating to develop a county “Transfer of Development Rights” policy. The policy would allow development rights on properties in rural areas to be relocated to properties in denser urban areas. This would further encourage rural areas to retain open space while allowing urban areas to get denser with population growth. Let the Clark County Board of County Councilors and the city of Ridgefield know that you would support this policy.
It is our responsibility to protect the precious landscape that we have. Let’s bring Ridgefield’s natural beauty together with its prosperous growth. Resources for land conservation are provided in this letter, but approaching them on one’s own may be overwhelming. As such I encourage you to contact me with questions or guidance to help facilitate this process.
If you’re a property owner seeking to ensure the wonders of your land for those to come, or if you’re eager for a change in the way Ridgefield is developing, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me at
byron.nurture@gmail.com.
