Smart growth the best Rx for growing pains

There have been three deadly alligator attacks in Florida in less than a week. Considering there have been just 17 fatal attacks by alligators in the past 57 years, it's a significant trend. Wildlife officials say the growing numbers of attacks are due to a loss of alligator habitat and this is the time of year that alligators seek mates.

Why in landlocked Utah should we care about such a phenomenon? The reason is, we share some of the same conditions that contribute to this spate of alligator attacks — rapid development wiping out wildlife habitat. The result? An increasing number of interactions between wild critters and humans, some of them extremely unpleasant.

Many of us along the Wasatch Front have our flowers and gardens ravaged by hungry deer or rabbits. Some have even been involved in car crashes involving wildlife. Once in a while, we'll hear reports of a cow moose charging a human she perceived was a threat to her calf, or reports of a bear attacking a human in the wilds of Utah.

Alligator attacks are the stuff of banner headlines, but larger questions loom: What will be the ultimate price of rapid development in Utah? Can our infrastructure and taxing mechanisms keep pace?

During a recent editorial board meeting with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, state wildlife officials told us that interactions between wildlife and humans are consuming a growing share of the wildlife division's resources. The Utah Geological Survey explained the perils of residential development on slopes, some of which have been or are active landslides. The state parks officials noted the growing use of state parks and waterways by Utahns who need untouched places to recreate and relax as city life becomes more crowded and complicated.

These issues affect our quality of life. They also affect our pocketbooks. Will the tax revenue generated by growth be sufficient to tackle the upcoming population boom? Will there be a continued will on the part of taxpayers to fund government functions for services and projects that are not of direct benefit to them?

These are legitimate questions as various government agencies wrestle with huge financial issues. For the first time ever, the Utah Department of Transportation is considering toll roads as part a multisource funding package for the state's highway system. The Utah Transit Authority seeks to borrow $875 million over 30 years to add four new lines to the TRAX light-rail system in Salt Lake County. Some school districts that are experiencing rapid growth are contemplating bond issues to build new schools and renovate existing ones.