I live on land that used to be a vast expanse of pine barrens. That vast expanse is now broken up by urban sprawl and totals only a few hundred acres of fragmented pieces of native habitat. Most of that land is zoned for commercial development and will disappear someday, when the economy recovers.

Driving down the main road in my part of town this evening, en route to cast my vote in the New Hampshire primary, I flashed back to the same road more than thirty years ago, before it was developed. I recall it as wide, open scraggly land, rather harsh, really. The road cutting through it was dotted with little camp-type houses and a few mom and pop businesses. Continue reading →