Building densely with close to 300 units along the farthest reaches of Hill Road will send more traffic into the North End. Smarter growth would place this kind of development closer to downtown and near planned rapid transit on State Street. Poor planning will lead to pressure to widen scenic Hill Road.

This area represents the largest intact foothills to farmland connection remaining in a natural state in Boise. The ecology of the 2000 acre natural buffer surrounding the landfill is greatly enhanced by this connection, as well as the year round groundwater fed waterway known as the 'Eagle Drain' (let's rename that!). Last winter a herd of elk with 6 bulls sought shelter in these hills. Raptors, songbirds, and deer live here. And toads!

This recently annexed edge of Boise still resembles the landscapes that our local artist James Castle represented with his famous sketches. Can we save our connection to history here along the route of an Oregon Trail northern spur?

Urban sprawl is quickly consuming farmland and its associated natural areas in Boise and Ada County. Deep fertile soils deposited by thousands of years of river flooding are being paved for housing that may last less than a century. Irrigation laterals, proxies for the river, are being needlessly buried. Let's incorporate small-scale agriculture into the city rather than destroy it.

A resilient city incorporates natural green spaces that provide unpolluted areas for groundwater recharge, saves energy by cooling the urban heat island, and provides opportunities for food production. Our long term sustainability is better served by keeping these last spaces with their deep fertile soils, pollinator habitat, and gravity fed irrigation as a buffer against fire, floods, and famine.

Ever think your neighborhood doesn't matter as much as some others? It will only if we vote! The image shows a map of voter participation in the 2017 city elections (pale means poor). We can all have a voice if we vote in November 2019!