Database Gives Public Access to Recent History of Conservation Measures

[Dover]

New Online Database Gives Public Access to Recent History of Conservation Ballot Measures

BOSTON, June 21 /U.S. Newswire -- Across the country, dozens of state and local governments each year vote to raise public funds in support of land conservation. In fact, over the last five years over 640 ballot measures have been approved by voters, creating over $26 billion in funding for parks, conservation and recreation. For the first time, a public database is available online to research these statistics.

Developed by the Trust For Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, the new LandVote Database serves as the premier source of information about conservation ballot measures. The database, accessed online at http://www.landvote.org , brings together a five-year, comprehensive history for all conservation-related ballot measures that have been voted on since 1999. A full ten-year database dating back to 1994 is expected by October, well in advance of the November elections.

Through its analysis of the data, TPL finds that in both the robust and challenging economic times of the past decade, American voters have strongly supported conservation finance measures that preserve natural lands, create parks, and protect farmland. Over the five years covered in the initial LandVote Database dataset, 78 percent of the conservation finance measures put to voters were approved, generating a total of $26.3 billion.

"By comprehensively tracking ballot measures that create funds for land conservation, we see that Americans are consistently and strongly supporting measures to preserve natural lands and working farms, create neighborhood parks, and protect drinking water quality," said Will Rogers, TPL president.....>>

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=139-06212004

[whatelseisnew]

1. Good Resource

Thanks - I'll use it.