To learn how you can help spread the word
about the ballot question, please visit our
volunteer page.
For additional resources, including
copies of the ballot language and flyers to distribute, please
visit our resources page.
A yes vote this November on the Green Acres, Farmland,
Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007 will provide
$200 million in much-needed funding to keep New Jersey’s
preservation programs afloat for one more year.
The Garden State Preservation Trust funded
these programs since 1998 when voters approved a ballot question
dedicating nearly 10 years of funds for the Trust. However, the
Trust is now running out of money and passage of this ballot question
is necessary the state’s preservations efforts going one
more year.
We need YOU to
VOTE YES this November to secure this $200 million and ensure
that New Jersey can continue to preserve open space, farmland
and historic treasures across the state.
Take an active role
in preserving New Jersey natural and cultural heritage, VOTE YES
this November on the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic
Preservation Bond Act of 2007.
By voting yes, you will:
- Protect our drinking water
- Keep beaches and rivers clean
- Create safe new playgrounds and urban parks for our children
- Prevent overdevelopment
- Safeguard wildlife habitat
- Protect forests and natural areas
- Preserve farms and historic sites
However, imagine New Jersey without
your yes vote:
- Loss of irreplaceable open space
- Polluted drinking water and contaminated rivers and
streams
- Distribution of fish and wildlife habitat
- Fewer parks for our children
- Devastating floods
- Loss of farms and historic sites
- More sprawl and traffic
This November,
invest in the future of New Jersey by voting yes on this ballot
question.
Frequently Asked Questions on the
Ballot Question
1) What
is the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation
Bond Act of 2007?
Voter approval of the Green Acres, Farmland,
Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007 will authorize
the State Treasurer to issue $200 million in bonds to temporarily
fund these highly successful programs while the Governor and Legislature
work to secure a stable, long-term funding source. These programs
were previously funded through the Garden State Preservation Trust,
which is running out of money.
2) What are the Green Acres,
Farmland, Blue Acres, and Historic Preservation programs?
These valuable state programs fund preservation
efforts throughout the state to maintain the character of New
Jersey by protecting our drinking water supplies and providing
parks and recreational opportunities for all residents and preserving
open spaces, working farms and historic sites in communities across
the state.
3) What is the Blue Acres
program?
Passage of the ballot question would create
the Blue Acres program, which funds the purchasing of flood-prone
lands by the State from willing sellers for open space preservation
purposes. These lands are either prone to or have incurred
flood or storm damage and are located in the Delaware River, Passaic
River and Raritan River basin floodways.
4) I keep hearing about the
Garden State Preservation Trust. Why isn’t this money
being used to replenish that program?
The Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT)
is a non-political financing authority that manages the highly-successful
Green Acres, Farmland and Historic Preservation programs.
Established with the approval of voters in November of 1998 by
a 2 to 1 margin, the Trust has successfully preserved open spaces,
farmland, and historic sites for the last ten years, but funds
have now run dry. The Bond Act of 2007 will temporarily
provide funding for these three programs formally funded under
the GSPT until a stable, long-term funding source for the Trust
can be determined and allocated.
5) How will the money from
the Bond Act of 2007 be used?
The act specifies that $109 million will
be allocated to open space preservation through the Green Acres
program, $73 million for farmland preservation, $12 million for
the Blue Acres program to purchase flood-prone areas, and $6 million
for historic preservation. The funds can be available beginning
July 1, 2008 for fiscal year 2009.
6) How will New Jersey residents
benefit from the passage of the ballot question?
A yes vote on Question # will protect New
Jersey’s drinking water, keep our rivers, streams and beaches
clean, preserve wildlife habitat and historic treasures, create
urban parks for our children and ensure a high quality of life
in communities across the state.
7) Will the passage of the
ballot question increase my taxes?
No new taxes will be imposed to fund these
programs. The bond act allows the State Treasurer to issue
bonds, which must be paid back within the next 30 years from available
revenue sources like the sales and use tax. Bonding for
preservation is the most logical and successful way to fund these
programs because it takes advantage of available land at current
market values instead of waiting until land is too expensive or
already lost to development. Bonding is the most commonly used
method for funding acquisition projects and capital improvements.
New Jersey voters have approved 11 bond measures since 1961 dedicating
over $4 billion in bonds for open spaces and preservation efforts.
8) I rarely use local and
state parks, how will I benefit from this measure?
Protecting our state’s natural areas,
farmlands, parks, and historic sites enhances the beauty and quality
of life for all residents. Funds will increase parks and
recreational opportunities in all communities, including urban
areas. Providing safe, centrally located parks in urban
centers encourages community revitalization and provides places
for our children to play. These community assets increase
the value of our homes and protect our community’s character.
9) My town already passed
a measure to raise local money for open space acquisition, how
will this measure benefit my community?
This state money will be used to match
funds that many local communities and all 21 counties raise for
open space and preservation efforts. The funds will also
be used for statewide programs that do not rely on local funds.
Therefore, passing the bond act will significantly strengthen
local and regional preservation efforts.
10) Why do we need to preserve
more land?
New Jersey loses more than 40 acres of
open space to development and sprawl everyday. At this current
rate, New Jersey is projected to reach full development within
30 years. If we do not act immediately to preserve open spaces
for local and state parks, our children will not have safe, attractive
places to live and play; our water supplies will become increasingly
polluted; and our state’s natural and cultural heritage
will be lost forever. Preserving land today protects it from development
forever ensuring that our children can enjoy the same quality
of life that New Jerseyans enjoy today.
11)
What is the Keep It Green Campaign and the Outdoor Recreation
Alliance?
The Outdoor Recreation Alliance (ORA) represents
over 90 statewide, local and regional organizations ranging from
sportsmen’s groups and environmental organizations to affordable
housing and urban park advocates working to secure a long-term
stable source of funding for the acquisition, capital improvement,
operation, maintenance, and stewardship of state and local natural
areas, parks and historic sites in New Jersey.
ORA is a member of the broader New Jersey
- Keep it Green Campaign that focuses on ensuring voter approval
of the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres and Historic Preservation
Act of 2007 as well as securing a constitutionally dedicated,
long-term funding source to fund the GSPT programs in the future.
12)
Where can I get more information?
Visit the Keep It Green Campaign website
at www.NJKeepItGreen.org
or contract the campaign coordinator, Joanna Wolaver at 609-392-1181
or joanna.wolaver@njaudubon.org.
13) How can I help?
The Outdoor Recreation Alliance and the
Keep It Green campaign are always in need of help. You can
help by voting yes in November and by helping us spread the word
about the ballot question and value of preservation efforts throughout
the state. Please distribute a copy of the campaign’s
flier available on the resources
page of www.NJKeepItGreen.org.
The
campaign is also in need of volunteers to either work from home
or from our Trenton office to distribute materials, prepare mailings,
and make phone calls. For more information on volunteer
opportunities and how you can help the campaign, contact campaign
staff member Mark Zakutansky at 609-392-5830 or at mark.zakutansky@njaudubon.org.
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