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Campaign Tip of the Month
"A compelling and concise message will make a big difference in your campaign. Repeating it again and again -- without deviating -- will make an even bigger difference. A good message is heard, believed, remembered, and repeated. Staying on your message can be boring, frustrating, confusing, counterintuitive, and very difficult. Just when you are sick to death of your own message -- and even make jokes about it -- you will know you have begun to penetrate the electorate.
Stay the course."
-- Dee Frankfourth, veteran political campaign manager, general consultant, and now Western Conservation Finance Director for The Trust for Public Land
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Colorado's outdoor funding at risk
Twenty years ago, Colorado voters dedicated the proceeds from state-sponsored lottery games to protect, enhance, and manage Colorado's  great outdoors. This funding has been essential to the efforts of local governments, land trusts, and state agencies to conserve open space and agricultural lands, create and improve outdoor recreation facilities, and protect wildlife habitat. But now, a dire budget situation is putting unprecedented pressure on lawmakers to divert lottery funds for other purposes. The Conservation Campaign is sponsoring the legislative campaign to keep the current distribution formula for these funds.
Help us protect Colorado's lottery funding for the great outdoors! Click here to donate now.
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Environmental Protection Fund lifts New York's economy
A recent analysis by The Trust for Public Land shows that the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), New York's dedicated fund for land conservation and other environmental programs, returns $40 billion a year to the state's economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. The EPF is New York State's main source of funding for land conservation. Between 1998 and 2008, the EPF protected 358,000 acres of open space -- providing a big boost to outdoor recreation, tourism, farming and forestry. The Conservation Campaign is hosting the We Love New York campaign that is working to defend and increase funding to EPF. Governor Cuomo proposed level funding of $134 million for EPF in his budget this year. Read more...
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Ballot measure news
On April 3, voters in Erie, Colorado, will decide on renewing the town's Open Space, Trails and Community Character program, which has protected 115 acres of open space and created 6.5 miles of trails since 2004. Town officials put the measure on the ballot after a poll conducted with the assistance of The Trust for Public Land found that a majority of Erie voters would "definitely" or "probably" support the measure.
Also up for a vote in April: adoption of the Community Preservation Act in two Massachusetts towns, Canton and Freetown.
Although fewer local governments have been willing to put measures on the ballot since the economic downturn, we are expecting more activity in this Presidential election year. Watch for updates in the coming months. To track ballot measure activity around the country or find a campaign, visit The Conservation Campaign's website.
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PA governor's environmental funding budget cuts
undermine gains in shale legislation
Pennsylvania's recently approved natural gas impact fee directs much-needed funds to local and state programs for farm and open space conservation, parks, trails, and watershed protection, including the state's land conservation fund, Growing Greener. But cuts to these and other environmental programs in Gov. Corbett's proposed 2012-2013 budget
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photo by Nicholas
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undermine the intent of the new funding. The Governor's budget proposal would leave just $23 million available for Growing Greener projects and programs, the lowest funding in recent decades. It also cuts $30 million from the Keystone Fund, eliminating grants for land conservation and local park and recreation projects.
"The funding contained in the Marcellus Shale legislation was meant to help address the environmental impacts of natural gas drilling, but there would actually be less funding available for these purposes if the Legislature approves the cuts to environmental, conservation and recreation programs proposed in the Governor's budget," said Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. The coalition, which is supported by The Conservation Campaign, is urging legislators to reject the cuts. For more information, go to Renew Growing Greener.
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