Advocates
Urge Lawmakers to Fund Land Conservation in Upcoming Fiscal Year
As the new home of NCPIRG's environmental work,
Environment North Carolina can be contacted with any questions regarding this
news release.
RALEIGH—Even in
tight budget times, 59 percent of North Carolina voters support funding protections
of forests, farmlands, and other open spaces, according to a newly
released poll. The opinion poll, conducted by the non-partisan Kitchens
Group, based in Maitland, Florida, surveyed voters across the state in March
2004.
Armed with this and other
information, land conservation advocates traveled to Raleigh today to urge lawmakers
to protect and bolster North Carolina's open space protection programs.
"Even while the state
tightens its belt, NC voters support nourishing open space protection,"
said Elizabeth Ouzts, director of the NC Public Interest Research Group (NCPIRG).
"The state's loss of open space is the sixth-fastest in the country. Voters
recognize that if we don't preserve our forests and farmlands now, they will
be lost forever to development."
The poll, conducted for
The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, the American Farmland Trust,
the NC Parks and Recreation Society, Conservation Trust for NC, and NCPIRG,
showed growing concern over the state's rapid growth. Among the key findings:
• 43 percent said they thought
growth and development of land in their area of the state was occurring too
rapidly and that steps needed to be taken to discourage more growth. This figure
is up significantly from 31 percent who responded the same way to this question in
a poll conducted in June 2002.
• More than 70 percent of respondents saw loss of farmland and loss of wildlife habitat
as a problem in North Carolina.
• 86 percent would be more likely to support a state level land protection program
if it protected rivers like the Catawba, French Broad and Neuse.
• 82 percent would be more likely to support a state level land protection program
if it protected small family farms and farmland.
Supporters of land conservation,
including representatives from the military and tourism sectors, pressed lawmakers
to adequately fund key land conservation programs: the Clean Water Management
Trust Fund, the Natural Heritage Trust Fund, the Parks and Recreation Trust
Fund and the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. These advocates say that spending
state dollars to protect natural areas, such as an expanded Lake James State
Park in Burke County and natural buffer zones around the state's military bases,
makes economic sense even in tight budget times.
"Adding 3,000 acres
and 30 miles of shoreline to the Lake James State Park is a smart investment,"
said Tom Johnson, Chairman of Burke County Commissioners. "Preserving this
natural area near the Pisgah National Forest will create a destination for tourists
and help attract businesses and retirees to the region."
Land conservation advocates
urged funding the Clean Water Management Trust Fund at $100 million, the Farmland
Preservation Fund at $2.3 million, and to maintain current funding for the Parks
and Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Funds. Proponents also lobbied lawmakers
to approve companion bills, introduced by Rep. Gordon Allen and Sen. John Kerr,
that would allow financing the purchase of natural areas that may vanish to
development in future years.
"The Clean Water Management
Trust Fund, Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, Natural Heritage Trust Fund, and
Parks & Recreation Trust Fund help protect water quality and the environment,"
said former Rep. Phil Baddour, board member of the Clean Water Management Trust
Fund. "Preserving open space helps our military bases and our economy."
Public_Poll.pdf