Dear HCN,
After watching Elbert
County, Colo., endure the nation’s second-fastest growth rate for
the past few years, I envy “Wyoming’s unique mix of apathy and
arrogance,” as described by Paul Krza (HCN, 7/6/98). The
correspondent reveals a disregard for the native values of Wyoming
citizens, assuming that they’re dull and backwards because they
seek to be a natural-resources economy with little population
growth.
I invite Mr. Krza to spend a few days in
our county, as we make the shift from ranching to bedroom
communities. Rather than have a view of the land as a producing
asset – one of those quaint notions that has given people
sustenance and a creative self-worth since the dawn of history –
our new neighbors rush to own the next open hilltop, where they can
build a trophy home and turn out a couple of horses, maybe some
buffalo or llamas, and let their dogs run at large. The open spaces
they moved here to enjoy don’t rely on their 50-acre tract, but on
surrounding ranches. Once the “entrenched” cattlemen get their fill
of new roads and traffic, stray animals (including kids), higher
taxes and urbanized schools, they sell out to relocate in places
like Wyoming.
I wonder where that spirit of
apathy and arrogance was in our county, before the development boom
started. It might have helped us resist the urge to subdivide. For
the sake of the West, let’s hope that Wyoming continues to be a
relict in our midst.
Chris
Frasier
Limon,
Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Keep Wyoming just the way it is.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
