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A Divided Electorate Finds Common Ground When it Comes to Conservation
According to a Brookings Institution report, U.S. population is expected to increase 33 percent over the next 25 years, requiring half the nation’s largest cities to double the number of homes, stores, factories, and offices that exist today. But growth needn't come at the expense of environmental health and quality of life. Over the past decade, American voters have reacted to accelerating growth by reaching into their pockets to preserve land for public benefit. This includes land for parks and trails, as well as land that preserves local history and culture; safeguards clean water, community agriculture and forestry; and protects the quality of life on which economic well being depends. The Trust for Public Land and the Land Trust Alliance are pleased to present LandVote 2004, our annual report detailing the year's conservation ballot measures. In 2004, state and local voters approved 75 percent of the 217 conservation measures on ballots nationwide, generating $4 billion in new conservation funding and continuing a rate of success that has been consistent since 1996. Leading the way were county measures, which enjoyed an almost 80 percent passage rate and accounted for nearly three quarters of total new conservation funding. One of the most striking facts about this year’s results was their success with voters of all political stripes in an otherwise polarized electorate. A divided electorate found common ground when it comes to conservation as a common- The shape of America will be deter sense response to the challenges of growth.mined over the next few decades, and there will be no second chances for communities that turn their back on today’s conservation challenges. This report carries great news - that states and communities nationwide are taking charge of their conservation future. It also offers a promise to state and community officials who may be contemplating conservation funding measures: voters are concerned about the impact of growth and ready to support conservation at the polls once they understand that it is the future itself that is at stake. “LandVote 2004” can be downloaded (PDF; 1.4KB) or a print copy can be ordered at www.landvote.org LandVote
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in America’s cities and countryside is inevitable.