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Andy Arthur

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 🌸 Maybe the urge for change is not always rational, indeed you would be better to stay the course as long as it's sustainable. Often old and tired ways of doing things are actually the best alternative. Better days ahead as we head into springtime.

I know it’s an awful bigoted thing to call invasive species, invaders

I know it’s an awful bigoted thing to call invasive species, invaders. It’s not like invasive species plan an invasion of an area. In many cases they don’t seek take over an area, kill native species, cause economic harm or job losses. Instead, they are just looking to survive and reproduce in a suitable habitat. Moreover calling something an invasive species rather than a introduced species is a very political statement – introduced species are defined by humans as being helpful rather than harmful. 

I have some quams about building a house on raw land …

You know after all these years of fighting development in the Pine Bush, and bemoaning yet another house being built in a woods or a farm field, I am seriously considering buying some undeveloped land and building a house on it. It’s really hard to find a property with lots of land that has a reasonably-sized structure for one person that is energy efficient and is powered by renewable energy.

How do I plan to address some of my moral quams about developing land?

  • I am not looking to turn the land into a suburban paradise but instead rural use – homesteading with livestock and gardening, not inconsistent with rural uses
  • I will work to minimize the removal of trees, especially quality native species and work to plant additional native species
  • I will work to build the soil using livestock, wood ash and compost, minimize waste generation
  • I will work to clean the land, remove debris and recycle or scrap as much as possible
  • I will work to eradicate invasive species and will not plant introduced species except to the extent needed to produce food for myself and livestock
  • I am planning to use solar panels and wood from on site trees as primary sources of energy

SEQRA calls it the inevitable irreversible consumption of natural resources which it is. But with a light hand on the land, much of it can be restored in the out years or continue to provide rural sustainable housing once I’m gone.

Hale Eddy

One of the last sections of the Quickway that are still at grade on future Interstate 86.