County-Wide Survey Results

Detailed results and citizen comments

• On Farmland Preservation
• On Open Space Preservation

Greater Kalamazoo Community Convention Outcomes:

[About the Convention]

Statements agreed upon by 100% of participants:

• We stand for preserving key open spaces in our community.
• We stand for preserving the natural and historic features of our county community.

Strategies for achieving what "we stand for," overwhelmingly supported by participants:

• Educating governments and citizens about the cost of sprawl.
• Prioritize resources within our county for green space preservation.

Discussion

The "loss of farmland and open space to development" is the second most mentioned concern in the county. A farmer in a focus group said, "I don't want to see any good, tillable land used for houses, or business development or anything like that. It needs to stay protected as farmland." In another interview, a citizen urged, "We've got to put more value on open space. Not simply for agriculture but as a value for a future generations."