Is there an association that helps neighbors fight against developers in the USA?
oikoσ
There might be a conservation group in your area but, most of the time, the residents form their own association and hire help from lawyers and ecologists. You can also contact state fish and game departments or Dept. of Envir. Protection to find out whether any protected organisms inhabit the area. As someone who used to do this sort of thing professionally, I have to tell you that the odds are against you unless your ecologist can prove that the forest or streams are worthy of special protection. I HAVE found reasons that stopped building projects, though.
Anonymous
cave dwelling. yurts. walking. grow your own food or hunt or forage.
Anonymous
You can fight all you want, but, trust me, the ones with the most money and proposed tax revenue will always win. In Connecticut alone, there are such injustices: Look at the infamous situation of Eminent Domain in New London, CT, where eminent domain took over a part of a town and displaced long time residents, people and businesses for Pfizer Corporation's plans to move onto an old mill site and develop the area, with a tax free abatement for 10 years. The purpose was to build up the area and provide commerce to generate tourism and taxes. Pfizer moved in alright. The town subsequently kicked people out of their homes and took over their business buildings and paid unfair prices for their properties. No development never even took place and residents and businesses moved for no reason at all. That was in 2000 and here they are 18 years later and the place is a run down empty shell of it's former self. Even Pfizer moved out, right before they were supposed to begin paying property taxes. Look up the case on Google.com and you will see the atrocity that took place in Fort Trumball's Eminent Domain case. To this day, it is a colossal embarrassment to everyone involved. This case went up to the Supreme Court even. Right now, Connecticut's largest undeveloped shoreline land in East Lyme is on the verge of being developed, which will have grave consequences to the environment, no doubt about it. The Oswegatchie Hills, is about to be developed, in spite of what it will do to the Niantic River and Long Island Sound. Why is this being allowed to happen? Because, the town will get more revenue in taxes, that's why. The DEEP, the EPA, Save the Sound, Save the Hills, Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Perserve, Land Conservationists, Ecologists and many other groups who came to the plate to defend this land to prevent development were given their say and rejected, in spite of NO GOOD to become of such a development. Every group gave comprehensive reasons why this land should not be developed, backed up with facts. In the mean while the town wants to build a $4million police complex rather than spend the money to buy that land to preserve it. The town will make more money to have 850 homes built on that land. It is all about the money. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, not the EVNIRONMENT. MONEY. GREED. MONEY. GREED. Connecticut's people fought and fought and fought, no one listened. No one who had the power to stop it cared. It is all about the money.
Anonymous
No. Our local effing politicians have raised property taxes where I live in order to pay for sewage lines, new roads etc for new housing complexes. The inheritance taxes are so high that when a farmer passes away, his children have no choice but to sell. They are in the process of using taxpayers money to actually clear the ground, make new roads and run sewer lines within the housing developments.