Stanislaus County, located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, is home to one of the world's most productive farmland and agriculture industries. Urbanization or urban sprawl, the development of highly populated, car-dependent communities into lower density areas away from central urban areas, leads to many negative effects including obesity. Loss of farmland will lead to population growth, thus requiring a higher demand for food, but with the lack of necessary land, farmers will be unable to supply enough products. It is imperative to conserve farmland, reduce urbanization, reside in farm or industry-based communities and incorporate urban agriculture in those communities.
The paradigm of Easter Island illustrates the negative effects of not having boundaries.
Easter Island, present-day Rapa Nui, was once a sophisticated civilization populated by up to 30,000 people. Succeeding the deforestation of the entire island, a cascade of events led to the eventual reduction of resources and lowered the ability to provide for a higher population. It also led to soil erosion, which caused soil to runoff faster and led to a decrease in freshwater. The combined factors lowered the yield of crops …show more content…
The boundary line will push urbanization growth to the east of Modesto, along Claus Road, because farmland is of lesser quality in that area. The boundary will also carve out 1,000 acres for nonresidential development in north Modesto. This land is located to the north of Pirrone Road, to the east of Dale Road, to the south of Pelandale Avenue, and to the west of Sisk Road and Highway 99. The boundary will leave Modesto with 10,000 acres for development. This boundary will benefit Modesto by protecting prime farmland and critical groundwater recharge areas while providing the city with a sufficient amount of land for development.