A recent article by reporter Tim Wheeler about the issue of natural gas development in Garrett County contains a statement from a local Chamber of Commerce board member and farmer who has been a fairly vocal advocate for natural gas development (“Fracking debate intensifies in Western Maryland,” Jan. 17). His statement deserves a response.
Billy Bishoff is quoted in the article as saying “… as more land goes into vacation homes, it’s becoming harder to afford leasing land to raise crops.”
The number of new second home subdivisions in Garrett County in the past five years has been few to none. Almost all second home development in Garrett County over the past 30 years has occurred in and around Deep Creek Lake. Most of that new development occurred on non-farmed lands. The reality is that there is currently no market competition between farmland and developable second home land in Garrett County.
Read More Here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-natural-gas-letter-20150121-story.html
