Healing views: janeAnne Narrin investigates the wellness connection between perspective and possibilities for sustainability.

What is a view? Is it what you can see out of your window as you read this? An opinion closely held and immensely valued? Both, certainly. Most of us entertain strong opinions colored by feelings or bias. I am passionate about the idea of stewardship, for example, particularly in this time of unchecked development of condominiums and hotels in our area. In the face of these challenges, I believe stewardship to be the remedy for almost all that ails us. individually and as a collection of living beings on the planet. The notion of stewardship evokes that essential sense of personal responsibility for one's own quality of life, as well as the quality of life of neighbors and future generations.

Sometimes, strong opinions like mine make it quite a challenge to get to another person s point of view. Afterall, it's not always easy to talk about what's good for another person before talking about what we think is good for that person. But. to listen and understand the other is, in itself, an act of healing.

WHERE DOES THIS HEALING OF OUR OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITIES BEGIN? BEYOND OUR OWN BACKYARDS.

Early this morning, I pondered my "view"--the sun and clouds veiling the valley below. And then I remembered a recent event: a hungry bear cub planted himself on the path to my door and scowled at me like an angry adolescent. At first. I was delighted. then a bit anxious, then somewhat confused. It is bear feeding season in the mountains this time of the year. But, what brought this defiant young bear to my front door? I'm a nature-lover, for goodness' sake. He should take up his argument with someone else!

With thoughtless clear-cutting happening around our communities daily, I should not have been surprised.

The bear represents a stewardship challenge, just as does protecting the natural beauty of our views, our homes. We need to take the courage to go beyond what's happening in our own backyards, and, as communities, we can take practical steps to lay the foundation for healthy and sustainable futures for all concerned.

WHAT STEPS CAN WE TAKE?

Even with opposing views, members of a community can meet to look for answers to hard questions: should they consider United States Geological Survey (USGS) recommendations to understand and properly address the land? How will these recommendations affect quality of life? How will they affect property values? What about percent of width of road corridors, residential density, nonresidential intensity of development, structure height, preservation of trees, and other significant vegetation and geotechnical analysis and landslide hazard areas? It's quite a challenge to come to a healthy balance, but necessary when so much is at stake.

Here are a few things you and your community can do to communicate and keep your surroundings healthy.

1. Hold your local officials accountable by demanding thoughtful stewardship of the environment and communities.

2. Attend City Council and County. Commissioner meetings. Stay informed

3. Write letters to your City Council or County Commissioners. Ask them to act in the best interest of the citizens.

4. Meet to look for answers to hard questions like these:

* What remedies are close at hand to help us have healthy ecosystems for present and future generations?

* What can we do in the way of cooperative planning?

* What can we do as individuals and as neighbors to prevent the loss of habitat and facilitate its recovery in the interest of long-term sustainability?

5. Keep an eye out for future issues of New Life Journal for discussion of key issues and ways that you can take action to preserve our land heritage.

Resources:

French Broad Water Quality Group. Low Impact Development ("LID") Workshop, www.bae.ncsu,edu/programs/extension/wqg/ frenchbroad/lid_workshop2007.html, Equinox Environmental www. equinoxenvironmental.com, http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/jetson_ green/2007/04/flickr_friday_a.html

janeAnne holds the highly-regarded designations of ECO[R] Real Estate Consultant and e-PRO[R] and serves as an active member on the New Life Journal Green Home Experts Board. As founder of The ECO-Steward Real Estate Firm, she specializes in Viewshed Acreages, Horse Farms, Conservation Developments, and Eco-wise 1031 Investing. Look for her continued column in future issues where she will chat with visionaries to bring you the latest information at the root of green development.