TAKE ACTION
Sign this petition to encourage Idaho’s Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to allow America’s (and Idaho’s) population to stabilize and stop the recent pace of destruction of the state’s farmland and natural habitat. Officials at the local level can hope at best only to slow never-ending population growth in their jurisdictions if the national population continues to increase by some 2 million additional residents each year. It is federal immigration policies that have forced most U.S. population growth the last three decades.
Three-fourths of the Idaho farmland and habitat lost to development has been found to be due to Idaho’s fastest-in-the-nation population growth. Most of the newcomers into relatively unspoiled and uncongested Idaho are coming from far-more crowded countries and states, particularly states like California which after decades of high immigration-driven population growth are shedding hundreds of thousands of residents a year who flee to places like Idaho. Until federal officials lower and moderate the numerical level of immigration, even the best local plans and political commitment will be unable to stop the loss of Idaho farmland and open space resulting from human sprawl.
To request a presentation of the sprawl study findings, and to offer comments and questions, contact NumbersUSA’s Sustainability Outreach Liaison Rob Harding at rharding@numbersusa.com.
WORK ON LOCAL SOLUTIONS
While policies of Congress continue to force population growth, there are many actions that Idaho can take locally to at least slow down the flow of new residents into the state and to mitigate some of the negative effects of the many who will still come. Although NumbersUSA is not involved directly in these efforts or in making endorsements of organizations, here is a list prepared by an Idaho activist about several local actions that are available for protecting Idaho’s farmland, habitat, and way of life:
