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Voter support stays strong for conservation funding
 In a challenging election year, with voters worried about the recession, job loss and taxes, conservation ballot measures still made a strong showing. Around the country, nearly two-thirds of the measures on the ballot passed, including the only statewide referendum, in New Jersey.
The success of New Jersey's $400 million bond act, which increases taxes for the average household by $10, is especially significant because the major race in the state, for governor, focused attention on residents' anger about rising taxes. The victory sends a message to legislators around the country that even in hard times voters are willing to tax themselves to preserve clean water, open space, historic places and outdoor recreation.
Elsewhere in the country, there were relatively few conservation funding measures up for a vote. Fifteen of 24 local measures were approved in Georgia, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Connecticut. Together with the New Jersey state measure, they authorized a total of $448 million in new conservation funding.
Photo by Glenn Brunette |
| A critical win in the Garden State
New Jersey voters approved the $400 million bond act for Clean Water, Green Acres and Farmland Preservation with 52% voter support. The bond renews funding for the state's pioneering open space programs, which have protected more than 640,000 acres of farmland, forests, natural areas and watersheds since 1961.
A number of elected officials and newspapers throughout New Jersey endorsed the measure, citing a study by The Trust for Public Land showing that every dollar invested in conserving land and creating parks in the state generates ten dollars in econonic benefits. Voters understood that preserving open space is one of the best investments they can make in creating a strong economy. |
