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2010 Tigard Bond Measure Is Saving Land and Dollars
After passing a $17 million bond measure in November 2010 to conserve land and create parks, the city of Tigard, Oregon, didn't waste any time. So far, it has bought three properties on its wish list, getting bargain prices in the soft real estate market and securing some of the last open spaces in a rapidly growing part of the Portland metropolitan area. "Even though the economy was bad, I was really concerned that if we didn't act now to preserve the land in public ownership, it would be gone forever," said Mayor Craig Dirksen, a fiscally conservative Republican. One of the first purchases was the popular 2.6-acre Potso Dog Park. The land had been leased by the city, but was on the brink of becoming an industrial warehouse or office space. Dog owners played a key role in the grassroots effort to pass the ballot measure, which was sponsored by The Conservation Campaign. Read the full story.
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Alabama "Forever Wild" Up for November Renewal Vote 
The Alabama legislature has referred the 20-year renewal of the state's Forever Wild program to the November 2012 ballot. Alabama voters established the program in 1992 by a vote of 84 percent, tied with Rhode Island for an all-time high for statewide ballot measures. The program, funded by a portion of the profits from gas drilling off the Alabama coast, is the state's sole source of funding for land conservation. The Trust for Public Land's conservation finance program is serving as an advisor to the campaign. Learn more.
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Gov. Christie Approves $157 Million for NJ Green Acres
Continuing 50 years of bipartisan investment in clean water, natural areas and parks, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a series of bills allocating funding  from the 2009 voter-approved bond act. The Conservation Campaign sponsored the campaign to pass the $400 million bond measure. The bills approved by the legislature and signed by the governor make available $157 million for land acquisition and recreation projects throughout the state. Signing the bill at a Somerset County farm, Gov. Christie said, "I am pleased to sign legislation today that reaffirms my administration's commitment to protecting New Jersey's open spaces and natural resources."
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South Carolina Legislature Overrides Conservation Fund Veto
By an overwhelming, bipartisan margin, the South Carolina Senate and House overturned a veto by Gov. Nikki Haley and sustained funding for state's Conservation Bank. The veto would have put the state's only agency charged with land conservation out of business. The $2.2 million appropriated will cover previously approved projects and agency operating expenses. The legislature acted after an enormous outcry from hunters, fishermen and conservationists across the state. |
