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Author: Olivia Bowler

Visit Triangle Land Conservancy

P.O. Box 1848
Durham, NC 27702
919-908-8809
triangleland.org

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Vanishing Wildlife Habitat

Worldwide we are experiencing the greatest acceleration in animal and plant species extinction in human history. North Carolina is one of the most biodiverse states in the country, yet rapid development across the Triangle is destroying natural habitats at an alarming rate.

Increase in Natural Disasters

Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency causing flooding, droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, and massive wildfires. Lower-income communities are disproportionately impacted, largely due to historical racial inequities.

Inequitable Access to Land and Nature

For generations, people of color were denied access to public parks and beaches. By 2050, people of color will make up 45% of our local population yet nearly 75% of US communities of color lack access to safe and maintained outdoor spaces — compared with 23% of White communities. We must inspire and engage more diverse citizens to advocate for equity in land ownership and promote preservation.

Declining Public Health

Experts recently declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health with rates of depression, anxiety, and trauma soaring. Children spend an average of 6.5 hours a day in front of a screen and almost half of adults don’t get enough physical activity that is key to preventing chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and depression.

Disappearing Farms

By 2040, North Carolina is expected to develop 11% of its farmland, nearly 1.2 million acres, the second-highest rate of conversion in the country. Johnston and Wake are the 19th and 32nd most vulnerable counties in the U.S. Since 2014, Wake County has lost 22,964 acres of farm and forest land — that’s almost 20%. Historically, land ownership by Black farmers has dropped more than 85% in the US over the last century.

Exponential Growth and Development

North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, and the Triangle is predicted to attract 40% of projected growth. In the last decade, one in four new residents moved to Wake County, and Johnston County is seeing the fastest percentage growth in the state. The pace of development is forcing land prices to skyrocket throughout the region.