Having land and not ruining it

By Matt Reese

I was scrolling through social media recently and saw a scene of a peaceful snow-covered woods with the quote from famous (and known for being odd and sometimes unpleasant) artist Andy Warhol: “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anyone could ever want.” 

While the snowy forest was nice, I immediately began pondering just how many different land use definitions there are for “not ruining it.” Land use policy seeks to strike the right balance of incentivizing these societal definitions while recognizing the legal rights of the landowner. This is an impossible task.

While some immediately see the snowy forest as the best possible land use, others would favor a productive field of corn or maybe a dazzling urban skyline. So how is policy supposed to help with all this? And what is the proper balance?  

Now zoom in to Ottawa County, in the heart of one of the most scrutinized watersheds in the world.… Continue reading