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Conservation funding wins big in 2008 elections

From The Trust for Public Land

November 6, 2008

Funding for voter-approved land conservation capped a record-breaking year yesterday, with voters demonstrating substantial support for open space ballot measures despite the current economic and fiscal crisis facing the nation.

On Tuesday, November 4, voters across America backed 62 of 87 conservation finance measures, generating a single-day record of $7.3 billion in new conservation funding. The results capped a record-breaking year in which voters approved 88 measures, totaling nearly $8.4 billion in new public funding for land conservation. TPL, and its lobbying affiliate, the Conservation Campaign (TCC), played integral roles in the success of many of these ballot measures.

Among the other significant measures yesterday:

*East Bay Regional Park District, CA: a $500 million bond measure received 71% support

*Hillsborough County, FL: a $200 million bond measure received 78% support

*Hunterdon County, NJ: An extension of the county's 3-cent property tax for 20 years will generate $152 million

*Community Preservation Act, MA: 7 of 8 measures approved, bringing the total of communities statewide that have adopted CPA to 140

*Blaine County, ID: a two-year property tax for open space will establish the first county conservation program in the state

*Johnson County, IA: a $20 million bond will establish Iowa's first county conservation program

Complete details of this year's measures--and all conservation finance measures since 1988--are in TPL's LandVote online searchable database, a service of TPL's Center for Conservation Finance.

TPL's LandVote database of Conservation Finance Measures: http://ga0.org/ct/ZpArUE61er2T/landvote

Conservation Campaign Web Site- http://ga0.org/ct/ZdArUE61er2R/theconservationcampaign

TPL's Center for Conservation Finance - http://ga0.org/ct/VdArUE61er2G/centerforconservationfinance

TPL's Conservation Finance Services - http://ga0.org/ct/V1ArUE61er2H/conservationfinance_services

The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come.

The Trust for Public Land depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our land-for-people mission. For more information please contact us
at (415) 495-4014 or on the web at www.tpl.org.

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