Stewardship & Growth Minute

Submitted to and approved by Meeting for Worship with a Focus on Business, 4 February 2007.

The choices people make as we live, work and play within our urban and natural landscapes have cumulative and complex impacts on the natural ecosystems and the societal connections that support life. As members of the Religious Society of Friends, we challenge ourselves and urge those in positions of leadership to hold these choices in the Light of divine guidance, drawing on principles discerned from prayerful reflection. With respect to the environment, the testimonies of Baltimore Yearly Meeting call on Friends "… to set the example in living simply so that others may have the wherewithal to live. We are called also to work for public policy aimed toward conserving the world's resources on one hand and sharing them fairly among all God's children on the other." The time has come to urge consideration of these principles by all citizens regardless of religious affiliation and by our elected officials in making decisions on our collective behalf.

In the face of recent and forecast population growth of over ten percent per decade within the State of Maryland , such decisions will be increasingly important. The decisions to be made about the Intercounty Connector are a case in point. The State of Maryland has taken some steps toward the concept of “smart growth,” but more is needed. Bethesda Friends Meeting is concerned that forward-looking and integrated policies and planning be established to address transportation, affordable housing, sustainable development patterns, and broader social needs within the State—as well as the equitable financing of solutions to these challenges.

Our post-1950 patterns of land use that depend on fossil-fueled automobiles cannot be reproduced indefinitely. Because development policies severely constrain transportation choices far into the future, we urge the pursuit of policies that integrate residential and commercial development with transportation. Zoning regulations that impose low densities and separate residences from services and employment need to be rethought. It is possible to accommodate more people in affordable housing and preserve open space—but not by the past and present path.

We urge you to consider placing more emphasis on public transportation and on land-use policies that promote greater use of public transportation, expanding the scope of the conversation both in general and as you review whether or not to build the ICC and the public transportation and road improvements environmental organizations recommended. Such policies would save energy and resources, reduce emissions while improving life opportunities for all income levels, and preserve rural and coastal areas within Maryland . Others—both within the United States and around the world—can also benefit from Maryland 's policy leadership in this area.