Contrary to the suggestion of a recent Star-Telegram editorial, I am decidedly not excited about the conversion of 7,275 acres of prairie rangeland (the Walsh Ranch property) into more subdivisions, shopping malls, office buildings, and roads, no matter how high the quality of development. In fact, I am deeply saddened that the land will not be put to its highest and best use: that of a nature preserve or state park or working ranch.

One of my favorite cartoons shows a developer's rendition of a new "Dream Center Shopping Mall" in the middle of currently "vacant" land. Two conservatively dressed, older ladies, responding to the developer's sales pitch, say simply, "Frankly, we think a herd of buffalo on an open prairie would be nicer there." I second that emotion.

Not only is the land - with its rolling hills, tall grasses, and sweeping vistas - quite beautiful just as it is, it is also quite valuable just as it is. Terms such as "vacant" or "real estate" are so often applied to natural, native landscapes that we do not even realize what the words imply. This is unfortunate because such terms insinuate that the land is underutilized, has unrealized potential, and would be more valuable if developed for human habitation or commerce. This connotation belies a terrible lack of recognition of the services and values provided by native landscapes and habitat.

Prairies are an essential component of nature's water, nutrient, and energy cycles. These ecosystems are a significant supplier of oxygen and act as huge carbon sinks, removing carbon dioxide - a major greenhouse gas - and other pollutants from the air. Prairies help purify water and replenish aquifers while providing natural flood control. They are the primary builders of valuable topsoil. Prairies also provide unique habitat for a multitude of plant and animal species, including pollinators. These and other indispensable ecosystem services upon which we all depend clearly have economic value, but they do not show up on the balance sheet.

However, the value of a prairie is much more than economic, regardless of how the worth is calculated. For many people, the American landscape is epitomized by the Great Plains, the huge swath of grassland extending from Texas to Canada. Prairies, with their open spaces and natural beauty, have aesthetic value and nourish the human spirit. Sadly, there are few places we can still go to find unbroken prairie vistas. Indeed, the tallgrass prairie is the most endangered ecosystem in all of North America with only about five percent remaining in small, fragmented patches; most has been converted to cropland or urban uses.

Texas Parks and Wildlife is looking for large acreage near the Metroplex to purchase as a state park. How perfect this land would have been for that purpose. In time, Fort Worth may come to regret the loss of such a large, nearby remnant of prairie rangeland. In time, we may all finally come to regard the land not as a commodity but as a community of which we are but a part.

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© Michele Basham May   -   March 13, 2004

This paper was written in response to a May 8, 2003 Fort Worth Star-telegram editorial titled "a changing vista" - development plans are in the works for land on the Walsh Ranch.

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