Voters Approve $5.7 Billion in Conservation Funds

Voters across the political spectrum approved 77% of the 128 tax and bond initiatives on ballots in 23 states last Tuesday.

1 minute read

November 14, 2006, 2:00 PM PST

By Nate Berg


"Voters approved 77 percent of the tax or bond initiatives on the ballot in 23 states in the midterm elections, according to research by the Trust for Public Land. Ninety-nine of 128 measures passed. Those votes will place $5.73 billion in the hands of local and state leaders to help fund land conservation."

"'There are community-wide benefits that mean a lot to everyone,' said Ernest Cook, director of the trust's conservation finance program."

"And while the largest sums up for votes this year were in so-called blue states, support for government spending on land conservation isn't unique to Democratic Party strongholds, he said."

"In Cobb County, Georgia, a $40 million bond for land conservation passed with 72 percent of the vote. The suburban county is solidly Republican, with GOP Gov. Sonny Perdue taking 66 percent of the vote this year."

"'It's a nonpartisan issue,' said Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, a Republican."

Thanks to Matthew Shaffer

Sunday, November 12, 2006 in CNN

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

Holland Tunnel, vehicular tunnel under Hudson River that connects New York City neighborhood of SoHo in Lower Manhattan to east with Jersey City in New Jersey.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent

New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

3 hours ago - Curbed

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American