Agriculture is the economic foundation of Madera County. Our primary industry generates over $1 billion dollars of crop production every year, with the vineyards, orchards, fields, pastures, and dairies funding the majority of our county’s tax base. Almost one third of all jobs in Madera County come from agriculture.

With the importance of our farms in mind, proposals that bring change to the region are rightfully scrutinized on how they would affect land usage. That is certainly the case with California’s high-speed rail project. Few doubt that over the long term building this system will provide a huge economic boon for our state and the Central Valley. But prudent caution is important and we have to be absolutely sure what is being built for the future doesn’t shortchange the industry we rely on today.

The High-Speed Rail Authority listened to the people of Madera County when it removed a western alignment from its list of alternative rail routes — a path that would have altered and destroyed some of the most productive farmland in the United States. This decision was correctly made after reviewing sound studies and listening to the people …

Now the authority has to study the two remaining route alternatives — along the rights-of-way of the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and the Union Pacific railroads — before making a final choice. The examination of the pros and cons of these two alignments must be exhaustive and comprehensive to insure that the final choice is the correct choice for Madera County. In order to allow for an informed decision, the citizens, elected officials, and representatives of our county must make every effort to work with the High-Speed Rail Authority for the good of the entire populace and not just posture themselves for the benefit of a few.

The construction, operation, and maintenance of this new mode of travel will create thousands of jobs-good paying jobs that the people of Madera County as well as the Central Valley desperately need. But we have to get this once-in-a-lifetime project right. Therefore, the debate where the train should travel through Madera County should continue in earnest. The early decision to protect agriculture is a sign that high-speed rail is on the right track.

Al Sheeter,
Mordecai Ranch

This entry was posted on Monday, May 31st, 2010 at 12:05 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.