edward
03-31-2009, 11:53 AM
Where Will You Ride, Compete, Stable Your Horses, Drive, Race, Breed, Grow Hay, or Just Enjoy Your Horses?
It’s only a matter of time until you are personally affected.
Part I
Land is disappearing at the rate of 250 acres per hour; the Arizona population migration is only on a temporary hiatus.
The tremendous growth in population is projected to resume when the recession ends by 2013. The so called “Sun Corridor” which extends from Cochise county to Yavapai will have to absorb the majority of our migration from the Mid West, Northeast and California. Economists and Planners are concerned that we make well thought out plans to accommodate the inevitable. One factor that will help drive that growth is that our Real Estate bubble and the subsequent burst have made Phoenix and the rest of the “Sun Corridor” one of the most affordable areas in the country. As a consequence, Equestrians once again, will be pushed out, have restricted use of their properties, lose access to trails and will lose the use of public and private arenas alike.
Budget cuts threaten use of public lands and access to trails.
The increase in user fees on State Land, closing or limited use of state, county and local parks may be just the beginning of problems for Equestrians depending on the depth of the recession. Like many taxes that the gov’t has imposed “temporarily”, we could get stuck with restrictions that will continue forever.
Single Complaint driven Zoning Regulations system.
The neighbor 1/2 mile away doesn’t like horses and complains about the smell. The zoning regulations require a “use permit” for you to add a 2nd horse to your 1+ Acre property. A neighbor that you had a disagreement with at a cocktail party decides to wage a zoning campaign against you using your horses as the problem. She goes to the Zoning Department and demands a change in zoning to eliminate horses in your area as they are a “nuisance”. The Zoning guy agrees because he doesn’t like horse people either. Hearings are held to change the ordinances for the entire town and you have a long, difficult battle ahead.
This is a real world example from a hearing in Wickenburg on December 4, 2008: Mary..725 S. Kellis Road: “I started this, I have nothing against horses, you walk out of my back patio all I see is horse manure that has been slid off of the corral down into the ravine. The gentleman has written a letter to the neighbors stating he will remove the manure. At this point it has only been moved to the ravine which goes to the river. Before they built their arena all I could see was vegetation, now the vegetation is stripped and the arena is there. I don’t want to see the manure, I don’t want to smell it, I don’t want the flies from it. They have lived there for the last year and a half and this is the first year I have had flies. The Town has no arena Ordinances; they can build right up to the property line. My kitchen and dining room table are right on my property line so I can be eating breakfast and a horse is running around and leaving droppings while I am eating. My objection is there is no arena setback. I have a problem with the drainage and grading permits issued.”
Negative Perception of the horse owner and industry.
Most of the non horse community is now 3 generations removed from the farm and do not have a clue about livestock and horses or where their meat comes from. Whether they read the headlines in the paper or get their news on line, they are being bombarded with massive amounts of negative horse news. There are stories about carriage horse abuse, horse owners who abandon their horses, wackos shooting horses, horse neglect, irresponsible breeding, inhumane transportation of livestock including horses, inhumane slaughter, race horse abuse, soring and more. With all this negative news is it any wonder why they may be motivated to punish us?
The end result of all of this is that we are left with putting out many, many fires. We have been placed in the position that requires us to be on the defensive. But, to win the game you must have a good offense in addition to a good defense.
ASHA’s offense consists of several important strategies. The following is a brief summary of a couple of proactive, game changing strategies that may make a serious difference.
The Code of The West is a set of expectations that is provided to all who purchase rural land. It is intended to inform and educate residents that life in the country is different than life in the city. It contains information on limitations of utilities and sewage, water from wells, dirt roads, slower emergency services, agriculture, livestock and more. “The Code of the West” is already in existence in many parts of the West. It’s a preventative and in some counties a notice that warns inhabitants that complaints on any item covered in the Code will be ignored.
This is a sampling from Apache County Arizona Code of the West:
The Future of Your Property What surrounds your property now is not a good indicator of what the surroundings will look like in the future. Spectacular views can be replaced by structures if neighboring private parcels are already approved for development. There is also no guarantee that surrounding public lands will remain undeveloped. Check with Apache County Planning and Zoning Department and appropriate state and federal agencies to find out how the properties are zoned and to see what future developments may be in the planning stages.
Dust Because of the County’s arid climate, dust is a common rural characteristic. Large amounts of windborne dust can be generated from unpaved dirt, cinder or gravel roads. If you or anyone in your family suffers from respiratory ailments, it is important to consider how the dust may affect your health. Dust will always be a reality in rural areas.
Animals can be dangerous and some livestock have been known to attack humans. Teach your children that it is not always safe to enter animal pens.
The Rural “Aroma” Many people who live in rural areas keep livestock on their land. The Apache County Health Services enforces regulations for the collection and disposal of manure, but objectionable odors may still be present. Living in rural areas means living with the smells inherent in rural life. Development of new residential areas is not grounds for shutting down existing permitted agricultural uses.
ARIZONA’S OPEN RANGE LAW- Arizona has an open range law. This means that if you do not want cattle, sheep or other livestock on your property, it is your responsibility to fence them out. It is not the responsibility of the rancher to keep his/her livestock off your property. Also, if your dog harasses livestock, the rancher may legally shoot the dog without prior notice to you.
In conclusion, even though you pay property taxes to the County, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of services provided to rural residents.
Since the rural west will not change immediately to accommodate your lifestyle or expectations, you should be prepared to adapt accordingly. You are encouraged to be vigilant in exploring and thoroughly examining any issues related to a rural existence that could affect your decision to relocate to this area. The information presented in the Code of the West is not intended to discourage you, only to give you a true and accurate picture of rural living in Apache County, Arizona.
End of Part I continued in Part II
It’s only a matter of time until you are personally affected.
Part I
Land is disappearing at the rate of 250 acres per hour; the Arizona population migration is only on a temporary hiatus.
The tremendous growth in population is projected to resume when the recession ends by 2013. The so called “Sun Corridor” which extends from Cochise county to Yavapai will have to absorb the majority of our migration from the Mid West, Northeast and California. Economists and Planners are concerned that we make well thought out plans to accommodate the inevitable. One factor that will help drive that growth is that our Real Estate bubble and the subsequent burst have made Phoenix and the rest of the “Sun Corridor” one of the most affordable areas in the country. As a consequence, Equestrians once again, will be pushed out, have restricted use of their properties, lose access to trails and will lose the use of public and private arenas alike.
Budget cuts threaten use of public lands and access to trails.
The increase in user fees on State Land, closing or limited use of state, county and local parks may be just the beginning of problems for Equestrians depending on the depth of the recession. Like many taxes that the gov’t has imposed “temporarily”, we could get stuck with restrictions that will continue forever.
Single Complaint driven Zoning Regulations system.
The neighbor 1/2 mile away doesn’t like horses and complains about the smell. The zoning regulations require a “use permit” for you to add a 2nd horse to your 1+ Acre property. A neighbor that you had a disagreement with at a cocktail party decides to wage a zoning campaign against you using your horses as the problem. She goes to the Zoning Department and demands a change in zoning to eliminate horses in your area as they are a “nuisance”. The Zoning guy agrees because he doesn’t like horse people either. Hearings are held to change the ordinances for the entire town and you have a long, difficult battle ahead.
This is a real world example from a hearing in Wickenburg on December 4, 2008: Mary..725 S. Kellis Road: “I started this, I have nothing against horses, you walk out of my back patio all I see is horse manure that has been slid off of the corral down into the ravine. The gentleman has written a letter to the neighbors stating he will remove the manure. At this point it has only been moved to the ravine which goes to the river. Before they built their arena all I could see was vegetation, now the vegetation is stripped and the arena is there. I don’t want to see the manure, I don’t want to smell it, I don’t want the flies from it. They have lived there for the last year and a half and this is the first year I have had flies. The Town has no arena Ordinances; they can build right up to the property line. My kitchen and dining room table are right on my property line so I can be eating breakfast and a horse is running around and leaving droppings while I am eating. My objection is there is no arena setback. I have a problem with the drainage and grading permits issued.”
Negative Perception of the horse owner and industry.
Most of the non horse community is now 3 generations removed from the farm and do not have a clue about livestock and horses or where their meat comes from. Whether they read the headlines in the paper or get their news on line, they are being bombarded with massive amounts of negative horse news. There are stories about carriage horse abuse, horse owners who abandon their horses, wackos shooting horses, horse neglect, irresponsible breeding, inhumane transportation of livestock including horses, inhumane slaughter, race horse abuse, soring and more. With all this negative news is it any wonder why they may be motivated to punish us?
The end result of all of this is that we are left with putting out many, many fires. We have been placed in the position that requires us to be on the defensive. But, to win the game you must have a good offense in addition to a good defense.
ASHA’s offense consists of several important strategies. The following is a brief summary of a couple of proactive, game changing strategies that may make a serious difference.
The Code of The West is a set of expectations that is provided to all who purchase rural land. It is intended to inform and educate residents that life in the country is different than life in the city. It contains information on limitations of utilities and sewage, water from wells, dirt roads, slower emergency services, agriculture, livestock and more. “The Code of the West” is already in existence in many parts of the West. It’s a preventative and in some counties a notice that warns inhabitants that complaints on any item covered in the Code will be ignored.
This is a sampling from Apache County Arizona Code of the West:
The Future of Your Property What surrounds your property now is not a good indicator of what the surroundings will look like in the future. Spectacular views can be replaced by structures if neighboring private parcels are already approved for development. There is also no guarantee that surrounding public lands will remain undeveloped. Check with Apache County Planning and Zoning Department and appropriate state and federal agencies to find out how the properties are zoned and to see what future developments may be in the planning stages.
Dust Because of the County’s arid climate, dust is a common rural characteristic. Large amounts of windborne dust can be generated from unpaved dirt, cinder or gravel roads. If you or anyone in your family suffers from respiratory ailments, it is important to consider how the dust may affect your health. Dust will always be a reality in rural areas.
Animals can be dangerous and some livestock have been known to attack humans. Teach your children that it is not always safe to enter animal pens.
The Rural “Aroma” Many people who live in rural areas keep livestock on their land. The Apache County Health Services enforces regulations for the collection and disposal of manure, but objectionable odors may still be present. Living in rural areas means living with the smells inherent in rural life. Development of new residential areas is not grounds for shutting down existing permitted agricultural uses.
ARIZONA’S OPEN RANGE LAW- Arizona has an open range law. This means that if you do not want cattle, sheep or other livestock on your property, it is your responsibility to fence them out. It is not the responsibility of the rancher to keep his/her livestock off your property. Also, if your dog harasses livestock, the rancher may legally shoot the dog without prior notice to you.
In conclusion, even though you pay property taxes to the County, the amount of tax collected does not cover the cost of services provided to rural residents.
Since the rural west will not change immediately to accommodate your lifestyle or expectations, you should be prepared to adapt accordingly. You are encouraged to be vigilant in exploring and thoroughly examining any issues related to a rural existence that could affect your decision to relocate to this area. The information presented in the Code of the West is not intended to discourage you, only to give you a true and accurate picture of rural living in Apache County, Arizona.
End of Part I continued in Part II