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.
I suspect that other free market forces have resulted in changes to local farm lease values. The most recent edition of Agweek online attributed the nationwide trend of rising farm land values to, among other things, higher crop prices, the overall demand for farm land and the popularity of corn.
On a positive note, the growth in second and vacation homes in Garrett County has brought great benefit to our local agricultural economy. Tourists and second home owners seek out locally grown produce, meats and dairy products. A number of locally sourced shops and restaurants have been started up to capitalize on this growing trend. The number of organic and CSA farms has grown. Come on down to Oakland's farmer's market during the summer and you will see many members of our second home community buying directly from the farmers themselves!
Garrett County benefits enormously from our second home owners and the thousands of people who invest here, attracted by our natural environment and our quality of life. This brings new and expanded agricultural opportunities for those who choose to pursue them.
Unfounded perceptions of our second home real estate market trends should not be used as a justification to introduce fracking into our area.
Paul Durham, Oakland