More Election Victories for Open Space Protection by Clay Henderson
January 23, 2002
The off-year elections in 2001 provided another opportunity for voters to
demonstrate their strong support for open space protection measures. Voters in
14 states approved local ballot measures that generated nearly $1 billion in new
funding on November 6th.
According to a survey by the Land Trust Alliance, 82 of 113 ballot measures were
approved and authorized $905 million in funding for parks and open space.
Election results from earlier in the year also showed approval of 77 open space
measures representing a total of more than $250 million.
These are among the largest successful measures:
- $200 million in
Morris County, NJ, for open space, recreation and farmland preservation
- $115 million in
Colorado for the state’s Great Outdoors Colorado program
- $80 million in
Houston, TX, for acquisitions of and additions and improvements to parks and
recreational facilities
- $60 million in
Harris County, TX, for acquisition and development of parks
- $50 million in Old
Bridge Township, NJ, for open space acquisition
- $43 million in
Douglas County, CO, for open space acquisition
- $20 million in
Orange County, NC, to purchase land and easements for watershed protection
- The results for the
2001 elections compare very favorably with the recent trend of ballot box
success.
- In 2000, voters
approved 174 of 209 local and state open space measures creating $7.5 billion in
new funding.
- In 1999, 92 of 102
measures succeeded, creating $1.8 billion for open space.
- In 1998, 124 of 148
measures were passed by voters, dedicating $8.3 billion in new funding for
conservation.
In Florida, which has the nation’s largest land acquisition program, a new
program called Florida Forever was officially launched. In December, the Florida
Communities Trust awarded $100 million to local governments for open space
projects. A week later, the Acquisition and Restoration Council ranked projects
that totaled $400 million for large-scale environmental acquisition. Local
governments with approved local bond issues were the most successful. The City
of Jacksonville had eight projects approved by the Florida Communities Trust as
part of their Preservation Project, which has a goal of $300 million for land
acquisition. Clearly, Jacksonville and other Florida communities are part of a
large national trend.
Clay Henderson is Vice President and Director of Conservation and
Environmental Services, a division of Holland & Knight LLP’s wholly owned
consultancy, Holland & Knight Consulting. For more information, contact Clay
Henderson at 407-244-1103 or via e-mail at wchender@hkconsulting.com.
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