|
On
November 6, 2007,
New Jersey voters approved the Green Acres, Farmland,
Blue Acres and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007,
securing one year of stop-gap funding for New Jersey
open space, farmland and historic preservation
programs. This bond act provides $200 million for the
state’s preservation programs, including $55 million
for grants and loans to local governments. However,
this funding solution is only temporary; New Jersey
leaders must secure a long-term, stable funding source
for these programs or state support for preservation
in communities throughout the state will come to an
end. You can help by contacting your state
legislators and the Governor and urging them to
support legislation now to fully renew and strengthen
the Garden State Preservation Trust, New Jersey’s
current funding mechanism for preservation.
Additional information on how you can help is
available on
www.NJKeepItGreen.org.
Passage of the bond act in November marked the 13th
consecutive time since 1961 that voters showed their
support for
New Jersey’s
preservation programs. This victory sends a clear
message to the Governor and State Legislature that
funding for preservation continues to be a top
priority for New Jersey voters even during fiscally
challenging times. While both the stem cell research
bond act and the property tax reform question failed,
voters approved this question by a margin of 54 to
46%.
To ensure passage of the bond act, the Keep It Green
Campaign, a coalition of over 90 non-profit
organizations, collaborated with mayors from
throughout the state. The coalition would like to
thank the over 100 municipalities that passed a
resolution in support of this ballot measure as well
as the many local officials that participated in the
over 40 press events promoting the measure and helped
distribute over 150,000 vote yes flyers.
While passage of the bond act was a great victory,
again, this measure will only provide enough money to
keep the state’s preservation efforts going for one
more year. After a year, these funds will run out, and
no plan is currently in place to continue funding for
state acquisition or local government matching grants.
We now need your help to urge state leaders to secure
a long-term stable funding source for the renewal and
strengthening of the Garden State Preservation Trust.
Please tell the Governor and State Legislators that
renewing state funding for preservation is a smart
investment for New Jersey.
Communities throughout the state reap direct economic
benefits from state and local preservation projects.
Preserving open space attracts new businesses and
employees seeking a high quality of life; lowers
health care costs and promotes ecotourism by providing
opportunities for recreation; and helps stabilize
property taxes by requiring fewer services than new
developments. These areas also reduce infrastructure
costs by preventing flooding and safeguarding our
drinking water and clean air; increase the value of
nearby property along with property tax revenue; and
promote revitalization of our urban areas by creating
jobs, reducing crime and improving the quality of
life.
In addition, the Garden State Preservation Trust
provides a vital match for the dedicated local open
space taxes collected annually by all 21 counties and
over 220 municipalities. The Trust must be renewed for
municipalities and counties to continue receiving
Green Acres and State Agriculture Development
Committee (SADC) grants, which provide critical
assistance with the preservation of lands before they
are no longer available.
Together we can ensure that New Jersey continues to
lead the nation in open space, farmland and historic
preservation. For more information on this campaign,
please visit
www.NJKeepItGreen.org or contact Joanna Wolaver at
609-392-1181. |
