What is ONGOLFF?
ONGOLFF is an acronym for Owners & Neighbors Guarding Our Local Forests & Farms and is a non-profit corporation. We are founded to preserve and protect local area land and residents from outside development projects that are not supported by the majority of the area residents because of the negative impact the development brings to the community. Our aim is to give voice to the silent majority.
How is the opinion of the majority of affected local residents determined?
ONGOLFF has a website for project information and a portal whereby local residents send a vote of “SUPPORT THE PROJECT” OR “OPPOSE THE PROJECT” along with their name and property address so that the vote can be verified as one representing the area and county.
What are the Issues of Concern we see for local residents?
1. The Wild Spring Dunes project is designed to provide an exclusive fly-in golfing opportunity for out-of-town club members. Local residents did not petition for golf course developers to bring a golf development project to the area and the price of golfing is higher than most local residents are able to pay. This project is being forced on the community by a non-local developer. The developer did not approach the local community to see if it was even desired by the local community before buying the land and starting the project.
2. The golf course will burden the local ground water supply disproportionately over those local residents that use water for daily living.
3. Utility and road infrastructure will also be pressed with increased costs to provide services to the golf course project that benefit a minority but the many costs will be borne by the majority of tax payers in Rusk and surrounding counties, the utility companies, members of electric co-ops and the like. Typically, existing utility users will eventually be required to upgrade to meet new changes which translates to increased costs for these users and the utility company. We did speak with two persons at Rusk County Electric, neither of which wanted to go on record, and they had opposing views on what impact the project would have on members and costs so only time will tell.
4. The property tax burden of local residents who wish to stay in the area will INCREASE as a direct result of the development project and will force residents on fixed incomes and limited means to sell out because the area becomes unaffordable.
5. The development project will change the landscape and the area from RURAL to SUBURBAN. This was never voted on or petitioned by the affected local population.
6. In addition to the development project changing the area from RURAL to SUBURBAN, there will eventually come a change of zoning laws and land use restrictions on all area land owners and home owners which will translate to increased costs for these residents.
7. Wildlife in the area will be pushed out by the massive clear cutting of thousands of acres of land.
8. Surrounding properties and surrounding water resources will likely encounter increases in pollution and contamination from increases in the use of pesticide and herbicide used to maintain golf course grass and landscaping.
9. The local values and politics of the counties surrounding the development project will be altered and lean toward those values of those tied to the special interests of the development project and will favor these same golf course owners over the desires of the local population.
10. Online research into the environmental impacts done by golf courses are available. One example is www.greenmatters.com/p/golf-courses-environmental-impact
What can be done?
1. Once a petition is completed, if the community is in favor of the project we desire to see the project properly scaled to reflect the goals and desires of the community since the community is expected to bear much cost relating to this project as outlined in “Issues” 1-9 above.
2. We desire to preserve the way of life of the community to the degree desired by the community with respect to items like zoning laws, restrictions, etc. or the lack thereof.
3. PUBLIC OPINION MATTERS IF IT IS VOICED! Politicians will listen if a majority of folks are vocal on an issue. Contact Joanne Shofner at 512-463-0592 and Rusk County Judge Joel Hale at 903-657-0302 and let them know your concerns about this project. We will share the petition results with them once it is completed. Don't wait to vote and contact your reps. Time is short!
DO YOU ‘SUPPORT’ OR ‘OPPOSE’ THE PROJECT?
We are running a petition drive to determine the will of the people and will share this result with local political bodies and owners of the development project to impress upon them the will of the people. As property owners and tax payers you will bear costs to have this project so please let us hear from you that you ‘SUPPORT’ or ‘OPPOSE’ this project. Please send us a vote of “SUPPORT” if you are in favor of the project or “OPPOSE” if you are NOT in favor of the project on the “Petition” page of the website .
WWW.ONGOLFF.ORG