FARPs in Wyoming

by Doug Crowe
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 12:13 PM MST

A recent article in the Star-Trib contained the following quote: "As homes and shopping malls proliferate, the United States loses about 6,000 acres of open space every day -n four acres per minute."

To bring that into local perspective, if this 6,000-acre per day loss was occurring solely in Wyoming (and some days it appears to me it is), it would take only 28.6 years to use up the entire state.

Stated another way, an area the size of Wyoming, the ninth largest state, is now being lost every 28.6 years and this rate is increasing. If you love wild things and wild places, this ought to grab your attention.

In my opinion, Wyoming's most egregious loss of open space comes from folks for whom it is not enough to roam unimpeded over our vast expanse of public land. Instead, they are driven to purchase, post and pillage their own exclusive little portion.

This is facilitated by a state law that exempts parcels of land larger than 35 acres from county oversight, thereby negating any requirements, such as access to clean drinking water, electricity, roads, sewage disposal, etc.

Consequently, companies are buying up large blocks of land, subdividing these lands into parcels of sufficient size (commonly 40 acres) to be exempt from county restrictions and marketing these "40-acre ranchettes" nationwide.

In my experience, Forty-Acre Ranchette People (FARPs) come in two varieties. There are the poor Forty-Acre Ranchette People (pFARPs) who can generally afford to locate only in areas of shallow soil, scattered sagebrush, little surface water and a limited view.

Then there are the rich Forty-Acre Ranchette People (rFARPs) who have the resources to acquire acreage in areas of productive soil, lush vegetation, sparkling trout streams and grandiose views.

A typical pFARP plot will be surrounded by a dilapidated barbed wire fence and decorated with a rapidly decomposing dwelling, scattered inoperable vehicles, various and sundry pieces of defunct farm equipment and more horses than the land can possibly support.

On the other hand, the average rFARP plot will commonly be defined by an aesthetically pleasing "buck and pole" fence, a six- or seven-figure ranch style home, "his and hers" Hummers in the half-acre garage, an indoor-outdoor swimming pool and, in some instances, private security.

In either case, the result is urbanization on a huge scale as land is removed from agricultural production and wildlife habitat.

This goes on at an alarming pace throughout our state, where land use planning is anathema to most people (especially developers). To me, it is beginning to seem that by the time all who want their very own piece of Wyoming manage to get one, it really won't be Wyoming anymore.

The strange thing about this is that a number of my friends and acquaintances are FARPs (mostly pFARPs, I'm afraid). To a man, they avow their love for untrammeled open spaces and the associated critters roaming thereon.

They are absolutely, categorically, unalterably convinced their little ranchettes have no negative impact on either.

They do tend to agree, however, that we really don't need any more FARPs in Wyoming, especially in their neck of the woods!

As for me, I am left to ponder this question: At what point do we heed the biblical admonition of Isaiah (Chapter 5, Verse 8): "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!"

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