The Once-lers of Plain City

May 9, 2007

There is a story written by Dr. Seuss that I remember from my childhood that is a parable about industrial development. It was called The Lorax. In the story, the Lorax speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler who chops them down in order to provide a product called Thneed. The industry becomes so big because of greed that the town, which was once covered in beautiful trees, ends up dark and polluted. Today, this story hits close to home as the world becomes more developed and places of open space and beauty are being destroyed.

There is a place in Northern Utah that used to be full of acres of farmland. Today the land is filled with miles and miles of new development. Homes have been built and businesses set up in the small area that used to be rural. Some of the complications that have developed due to the growth of the area include supplying water and sewer to the over flowing new residents. Developers are buying up the land as quick as they can find it and subdivide it, charging outrageous amounts of money to the residents moving in. The town, known as Plain City, has reached its boundaries and seems to be bursting at the seams and now they want more.

The area surrounding the exploding city is farmland. Acres of crops and dairy farms are threatened by annexation into Plain City and development into homes and businesses. The threat leaves a sense of loss to those who inhabit the farms and maintain a hard working, simple way of life despite the fast moving industrial society that surrounds them.

There is beauty in the open space that farm country provides that is unlike anything in a city. There are quiet fields of green and yellow that are not disturbed until it is time to bring in the crops. There is wildlife that is not found in cities and can only be heard on a quiet night while residents of the rural community sit out on their front porches and look at the stars.

The fresh air of the country has a unique aroma that gives a sense of cleanliness and nature. It is a mixture of grass and trees along with the animals that make up part of the population in the area. The people that maintain the farmlands are self-reliant and hard working. They have a sense of pride in what they have helped create with their own hands. It is a way of life rich with contentment and bonds between neighbors who rely on one another to make their way of life succeed.

The “Once-lers” of Plain City wish to destroy this happy way of life in the name of progress. They want to allow developers into the area that will subdivide the land into small plots with large homes and cram people into them like sardines. They do this stating it will be good for the economy and improve the way of life for people in the area.

And so the conflict begins. The quality of life will be debated along with the importance of progress. Who will win in this battle of community and development? One can only speculate but, if Dr. Seuss’s book is a reflection on the future, the Once-lers will surely succeed in their attempt to provide what society needs unless of course, there is a Lorax or two to stand up for the trees.