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Scarcity ® 'green A / An inventory of land in the Triangle protected from development points up the region's vulnerability to continued loss of open and green space. This regional challenge cannot be ignored . , ust like a sitting duck, all but 6 per- visual and recreational pleasure , cent of open and green . space . in six Certainly, a more pleasing landscape , Triangle counties is susceptible to more birds and abundant wildlife , bet- ' being lined up in the sights of develop ter air and cleaner water are goals ers . . As a Triangle Land Conservancy worth striving for. : study discloses, government and other The Triangle Land Conservancy ' s conservators have sielded from devel- report shows that federal acquisitions opment a mere 121 , 541 acres in Wake , of acreage for Falls and Jordan lakes , Durham, Orange , Chatham, Johnston account for most of the protected land . and Lee counties . Umstead State Park in Raleigh and Eno What a sad commentary that is on River State Park near Durham, as well . land stewardship in the Triangle , as smaller park holdings , are also Between 1987 and 19Q7, the study points shielded from development. Raleigh has out , developers in •Lhese six counties an extensive greenway system in place ; converted an estimated 190,000 field and other towns are attempting to follow forest acres into largely suburban res- suite idences , offices , shopping strips and Even so , Kate Dixon , the Conserv- parking lots . In Raleigh, even N. C . State ancy s executive director, laments the University is ready to auction 159 acres piecemeal efforts at preserving green of what has been rec'earch farmland at space , with the Triangle ' s cities and the city ' s western edge . And though counties rarely working together to State pledges to acquire open space acquire it . It ' s a situation that badly elsewhere, intensive development there needs to change, for there undoubtedly will only add to congestion and pollu- will be fierce future competition for tion nearby. much of the million or so forested acres . Much of the 1987-97 development was , still privately held by landowners in the of course , a predictable free market Triangle . Land conservancies and trusts response to business and population can help to a point . But cities and coup= growth . And not all the development has ties , too , must come armed with both been bad, by any means , despite obvi- their checkbooks and their green space ous sprawl and traffic problems . But conservation plans . People in the what stands out starkly in •the study are Triangle may as well face the fact that shortcomings in the Triangle in acquir- it • won' t be either cheap or easy to keep Mg space for parks , greenways and pro - the open space that remains from being tected forests , even if just for people ' s bulldozed or paved over.