Rapid Development in Colorado Worries the Agricultural Community

Growth in the housing sector has begun to encroach on ranchers' land and water.







-Fountain, CO   Ann Hanna has seen the expansion of the Colorado Springs-area explode within the last ten years. It seems like everyday she has had a developer knocking on her door or leaving a note offering to buy a portion of her ranch. However, Hanna never thought about accepting one of these offers.

"We are way too close to the city of Fountain and the city of Colorado Springs," says Hanna. "We are right there now." Instead, she wants to keep her land and water as is, preserving it for the future. That's why Hanna turned to Colorado Open Lands.

The Lakewood-based non-profit organization works to "preserve the significant open lands and diminishing natural heritage of Colorado through private and public partnerships, innovative land conservation techniques and strategic leadership." Colorado Open Lands purchased 550 acres of Hanna's ranch in an effort to maintain the integrity of the land. "It's an agreement between the conservation easement holder and a private land owner that essentially restricts the use of the property," says Colorado Open Lands Director Dieter Erdmann.

Colorado Open Lands Website

Under this conservation easement, Hanna's land will permanently remain an area for cattle grazing and large-scale hay production.

Hanna's late husband, Kirk, fostered her passion for conservation, something she has passed down to her two daughters, Maggie and Emy. Both are in college and plan on returning to the ranch to continue in conservation efforts. The family realizes how important the agricultural community is in America. Ranchers and farmers make up a mere two percent of the nation's adult work force, but their livelihood is in danger due to rapid expansion nationwide.

Not only is this growth affecting those in the agricultural community, but those in cities as well. "Our focus, first and foremost, is connecting people to land, making sure that all kids are in walking distance of a park," says Trust for Public Land Project Manager, Wade Shelton. "That everybody has the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors because we feel that to really further conservation, you need people to want to go outside and, if they don't have the opportunity to do that, they're not going to do it."

Thanks in part to proceeds from the Colorado Lottery, Colorado has taken steps towards conservation, and is now a leader throughout the country.

Hanna likes to see the progress around the state, but understands it will be an uphill battle. "Now that I have a conservation easement, you know, they understand that that's where my desires are. I am not a seller." Kirk and Ann Hanna's commitment to conservation has been documented in a new feature film expected to be released in 2011.

Here's a link to the video's promo. Hanna Ranch Promo

Other links of interest:
Colorado Springs Gazette article about Hanna Ranch
Rocky Mountain News article about the Hanna family
Trust for Public Land website

Really FIFA?

While my blog has focused on Tim Tebow and his religious values, the announcement by FIFA that Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup has me more than a little upset.

First, and most obvious, I'm upset because Qatar beat out the United States. The U.S. had been the odds-on favorite because A. Europe is hosting the 2018 World Cup (no continent can host consecutive World Cups), B. the 1994-U.S.-staged World Cup was the most attended EVER, C. the U.S. does not need to build new facilities,  D. do you know how much money would come out of hosting a World Cup in the world's richest and most developed country?, and E. it's the U.S.

But Qatar snuck in with a gaudy and emotional presentation about why the Arab world should host a World Cup.

Quick. $10 to the first person who can point out where Qatar is on a map. Qatar is a rich, oil and gas-producing country about the size of Connecticut, with a population around 1.3 million (half of which are non-natives). Yes, Qatar has the government-backing for the World Cup (something the U.S. did not necessarily have) and it has an abundance of money. Yes, Qatar's stadiums will be amazing, though 9 of the 12 still need to be built. Yes, FIFA wanted to continue it's endeavor of bringing the World Cup to new parts of the world (see South Africa, Brazil, Russia). But really FIFA? Qatar?

I don't care if Qatar builds air-conditioned stadiums to combat the 120-130 degree heat during the event. I don't care if the facilities will be absurdly nice.
I don't care that this will be the first major sporting event held in the Middle East.

What I do care about is the way this all went about. First, Qatar and the Spain-Portugal joint-bid for the 2018 World Cup have been accused of colluding to buy votes for the other to make sure they won. Really? Classy moves by both parties. Yes, FIFA did remove 2 members from its Executive Committee in response to these allegations, but I still don't buy that Qatar is innocent. Second, it seems a little fishy to me that Russia magically won the 2018 vote and President Putin was nowhere to be found, but suddenly is on a flight to Zurich as I write this, to celebrate. Corruption anyone? But what really bothers me, and the reason this is in a blog about religion and media, is what Qatar is changing to fit in.

Qatar is a Muslim nation. Muslims do not drink, at least not heavily. However, Qatar has said that it will allow more alcohol in the country for the World Cup. Cool selling point. Ignoring your religious values so that the rest of the world can party. And believe me, the World Cup is a giant party. Under sharia law, being drunk in public is a huge offense. Have you seen someone from the UK after a soccer match? Complete and utter shitshow. So I have zero respect for Qatar doing this. It's disgraceful that a country which has such deep religious roots would be willing to alter them just to host an event. I mean really Qatar?

So congratulations to FIFA for choosing four straight questionable locations for the World Cup: South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar. Really?

In case you were keeping tabs about how good the U.S. and Qatar soccer teams are, the U.S. is currently ranked 24th. Qatar is ranked 113th. Out of 203 nations. Really FIFA? At least we can watch Germany or Spain beat Qatar 10-0 in the first round.

This whole situation should be a "Really? With Seth and Amy" on Saturday Night Live.

Really? With Seth and Amy