Other articles by Bill Roe:

Now is the ideal time for buying open space Homes need not all be alike Conservation plan should be extended

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Q In none of the forum presentations was mention made of climate change and major shifts in ecosystems. How are we to talk about growth meaningfully, given the uncertainties we face regarding natural resources?

AThis is the heart of the issue! We have land enough, but water is the limiting factor. There is substantial uncertainty of water supply based on climate change models for the Colorado Basin. We need to build sufficient flexibility and resiliency into our water management scenarios, and modulate our growth accordingly.

If we decide to convert all of our agricultural water use into municipal, for example, we will lose the ability to allow fields to be fallow when there is a drought since households will be absolutely depending on the water. Flexibility and resiliency means banking sufficient quantities for the future while not promising new entitlements based solely on the ability of the Colorado River to deliver.

Look at the prospectus for the Central Arizona Groundwater Replenishment District. This is where we need to depart from a rosy future analysis and begin asking hard questions and proposing hard choices: Do we want to drink our own sewage? Even if we do, will it grant us growth everlasting (beyond 2030)? I'm disappointed that the forum did not anticipate the county's plan to study this option, as it has severely damaged credibility yet again. We need to do better.

We assuredly do not have enough information available to make specific decisions based on climate change. Even if we had more concrete information, we probably don't have the wisdom to understand the full impact of the choices in front of us. There are always unintended consequences. However, no matter what happens with climate change, we know that we have a water challenge. We do have some clear choices that we can make in determining where we want land developed and where we want to protect the "natural infrastructure" of grasslands, watersheds, riparian areas, wildlife corridors and other important habitats. Those are decisions we can make now that we will be judged on by our children and our grandchildren.

There are uncertainties that none of us can predict. We can do our best to face decisions now that we can affect.

QNon-native species (such as buffelgrass) are invading much of our native desert, undeveloped open spaces, as well as the inner parts of Tucson and throughout southeastern Arizona. These species introduce a serious fire risk to the region and are dramatically altering the native ecosystems. With the goal of protecting the integrity of the native ecosystems, what incentives can be utilized or implemented in new developments or in-fill to reduce or eliminate existing buffelgrass (and other invasive species) populations and prevent new populations from becoming established?

ABuffelgrass is only the tip of the iceberg.

Governor Janet Napolitano has established the Arizona Invasive Species Advisory Council, which made an extensive report.

The problem is monumental and affects agriculture, biologic diversity, public health and safety (fire in particular), among other issues.

We certainly need to address the issue through local government; however, the issue is statewide, regionwide and national. Your elected officials must be engaged in this dialogue, especially state legislators. Buffelgrass is only one of a huge number of exotic species that are doing damage to our landscape. Look at what the Sahara Mustard weed has done in a very short time in western Arizona, especially along Interstate 8. Bullfrogs are decimating native aquatic species. Salt cedar introduced in the 19th and early 20th centuries continues to be a challenge.

A variety of agencies and governmental units at all levels — federal, state and local — need to be actively educated and involved and encouraged to prevent introduction of exotics. The introduction of exotics almost always has unintended consequences.