At our 35th Anniversary Celebration, keynote speaker Bobby Whitescarver shared a message that stayed with us long after the evening ended:
“Every acre, every square foot of open space has conservation value.”
He then asked a powerful question:
If there’s no national plan to protect the farms and forests that sustain us — what must be done, and who should lead the charge?
The stakes are real. The United States is losing one acre of farmland every minute. With no national strategy in place, local leadership and community action matter more than ever.
In this video, Bobby outlines four major threats facing our landscapes today:
1. Urban sprawl
2. Energy development pressure
3. Apathy
4. Hidden agendas
He also shares what we can do right now to protect our open spaces:
* Build walkable, community-centered places
* Hold energy developers accountable
* Show up at local planning and zoning meetings
* Vote for conservation at every level
Protecting our farms, forests, and open spaces doesn’t start somewhere else.
It starts here, with informed communities and people willing to act.