New West Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
In my travels across the West, the dramatic reversal of growth and development in just about every town, city, and state where we work is remarkable. The boom has become a bust.
As I witness the changed economic landscape, a Teddy Roosevelt quote comes to mind. “In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” This is a moment in our history where leadership is being tested and redefined in all areas — including conservation.
At the Sonoran Institute, we see this time as a serendipitous opportunity to become more proactive in our efforts to shape the future of the West — promoting sustainable communities, protecting open spaces, and preserving our vital natural resources.
Fortunately, others also are choosing to lead in these challenging times. Recent actions by the State of Montana deserve our attention and appreciation. Through its Legislature, the state has taken some positive steps in responding to public demand for smart growth policies.
Ten years ago, a small group of citizens concerned about the growing impact of poorly planned growth created the Montana Smart Growth Coalition to help preserve the high quality of life in the state. The Coalition, now with over 40 member groups, advocates for laws and regulations that will lead to sustainable, affordable, and attractive community growth patterns while also protecting open spaces in a rapidly developing Montana. Their passion, commitment, and hard work have paid off.
Tim Davis, director of the Sonoran Institute Montana Smart Growth Coalition, this year reports one of the most successful legislative sessions yet for passing new laws aimed at helping Montana counties and communities grow in a smarter way. The Montana Legislature enacted seven new smart growth statutes, with the “flagship” law called the Omnibus Land Use Modernization Act.
“The Omnibus Act will make smart growth in Montana dramatically easier for counties and communities by modernizing the state’s zoning laws,” says Davis. “Updating the 1930s era statutes will allow for more flexible zoning, which will lead to innovation in community and neighborhood development.”
The Act will improve the public notice process for development proposals and zoning changes, opening the door for more public participation. The Act also allows counties to use “interim zoning” as an effective tool to give communities the time they need to plan for unexpected growth.
“How we achieved passage of the Act was almost as important as the laws it will change,” says Davis. “It was a hard fight and at times things got a little ugly, particularly towards the end of the session. But we were successful in reaching across party lines to build a strong political consensus in favor of the Act. Remarkably, we were able to win a 70 percent favorable vote margin in both the Montana Senate and House of Representatives. Montanans of all political stripes have come to realize that if we are going to protect those things that make Montana special, we have to work together.”
Many diverse organizations joined the Coalition in support of the Omnibus Land Use Modernization Act, including the Montana Association of Counties, the Montana League of Cities and Towns, the Montana Association of Realtors, the Montana Building and Industry Association, and the Montana Association of Planners.
Two additional smart growth bills worth noting are:
HB 402 – This bill removes the expiration date for the Montana Land Banking program for state trust lands, and increases the amount of state land that can be part of the program. It is a critical part of the state’s efforts to acquire Plum Creek lands. The Sonoran Institute strongly supported HB 402, which also will help the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation enhance the state lands portfolio to include more public access, consolidate ownership, and make it easier to protect habitat.
HB 674 – This bill authorizes the state to issue bonds for $21 million to help purchase Plum Creek lands as part of the sale of 300,000 acres of those lands to the state, federal government and conservation buyers.
This year’s success was particularly gratifying since the Montana Smart Growth Coalition is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The Montana Legislature’s wide-ranging actions on smart growth laws reinforce the purpose and the effectiveness of the Coalition. I am hopeful that others will follow Montana’s lead.
Guest writer Luther Propst is the Executive Director of the Sonoran Institute, which originally published this article as a May 2009 “Western Dispatch.”
New West welcomes guest columns of all kinds. Submit yours to editor@newwest.net.
Dumb Growth. The Sonoran Institute will still have its friends and supporters in Livingston and Bozeman living in 5 or 10 thousand square feet, while the working masses in those towns get to scramble for overpriced (though lately not in this recession) small homes and rental apartments because Smart Growth pointy heads won’t let them build anything not up to S.G. standards. This is essentially what happened in California over the last couple of decades, with predictable results. Portland, Oregon is also an extremely expensive place to live because of this political-bureaucratic monkeywrenching in the development private sector. But Montana has been selling it soul to media moguls and movie stars for decades, so this legislation doesn’t surprise me. Read Thomas Sowell on this; not Luther Propst.
Mr Croke hit the nail on the head regarding Montana Smart Growth folks being a tool for the uber rich using taxpayer money and regs to keep the workforce out of their backyards. Look up who owns the McMansions in the Swan Valley, soon to be surrounded by more taxpayer funded “public” lands. Mega rich out of staters.
It’s Agenda 21. Check it out and see how all this so called grass roots “sustainable” “smart growth” brainstorming ideas match the Agenda 21 blue prints. Here in Philipsburg there’s a problem with the existing sewer treatment pond leaking affluent into Flint Creek where it’s next to. Solution: to put a new one right next to it. No EIS or OK from the engineer corp. I contacted the Mt Smart Growth group, twice, and they never got back to me. Apparently they choose to save and protect what they consider important. And who ever heard of Flint Creek? Can’t get name recognition with that. BTW. There’s no money to clean up the mess from the old pond, so that will just sit there.
I just read “Death by Cul-de-Sac” on this site and now this. What is it with some people who want to plan and micro-manage everyone else’s lives?
Out of curiosity, I checked out the real estate in Montana (online) and was shocked at the prices. Mid to high six figures for a basic small one family home? Who can afford that, especially these days?
This insanity, I fear, will only get worse, especially as pissed off taxpayers pour out of California.
…
Montana’s major “industries” are not timber, agriculture, mining or even tourism, the green sustainable one that’s supposed to replace the other three. The government and NGOs are. There was a story in one of the major local rags about a guy who moved to Missoula. He couldn’t find a job so he started a non-profit organization. That was his advice. Can’t find a job? Make one. Micro-mananging everone’s life to a communitarian life style to save the Earth is big business. Play along with the anti-individualist nuts, and you’ll never run out of grant money, private or public.
Dumb growth is NOT planning for growth in an over-populated world where people would certainly not welcome a restriction on child birth.
Smart growth communities can and will provide for lower income peoples, and as well these peoples typically receive government funds in part from the rich liberal tax deposit, so please stop complaining and being irrational.
If you naysayers seek a future where your children and their children will not be able to breath fresh air, drink fresh water and enjoy wild, open public spaces, then I guess your right.
KIM… if the “environmentalists” did not exist, you would have polluted yourselves off the planet already so stop resisting, get involved and join the SMART growth future and help out with the planning by giving your input to those standing up for your future.
Use the energy you use complaining to help PLAN the growth to accommodate your needs as well.
Like the entire free-market USA system, those with some brains and ambition will make out the best on this deal.