From Rupert Friday, RI Land Trust Council:
[Ed. note: Since local farming and preservation of open space is such a popular cause in Rhode Island and previous bond issues have been overwhelmingly approved, I'm presenting the RI Land Trust Council's views and supporting information in their entirety. If this is something that you value, read on! ~ SK]
Land Trust Leaders & Friends of Land Conservation in Rhode Island ~ We need your help!
Please call and email your state representative AND senator and the Rhode Island General Assembly leaders and ask them to:
support the 2008 BOND REFERENDUM for farmland and open space protection funding and increase this to a $15 million bond for the state's land conservation programs.
Without a 2008 Bond, state land conservation programs WILL END.
These successful programs - operating since 1985 - will run out of funds after 2008.
It makes a huge difference at the Statehouse when our state legislators hear from 5 or 10 people on an issue! Please make these calls and get 3 or 4 of your friends to make the calls too.
Below you will find:
- background information on an open space bond referendum
- frequently asked questions
- suggestions for what to say & write
- phone numbers & email addresses for General Assembly leaders
Background:
In response to many calls from the land conservation community, Governor Carcieri proposed $5 million in bond funding in his FY 2009 Budget for land conservation programs. (Note: This is a 60% cut in funding for these programs from the 2004 bond.)
RI Land Trust Council is seeking an additional $10 million in bond funding. (which would be level funding)
Some leaders in House Finance Committee are proposing:
- totally eliminating the Governor's bond proposal and providing
- $0 in bond funding for land conservation!
In the next couple of weeks, the House Finance Committee & General Assembly Leaders will determine the future bond funding for the state's land conservation programs until at least 2011.
For over 20 years - since 1985 - in good fiscal years and in bad fiscal years Rhode Island has provided open space bond funding for 3 land conservation programs:
1. RI Farmland Protection program - buys development rights to protect farmland.
- The state only has $70.00 left uncommitted in this program.
- Without state funds, Rhode Island will lose $2.5 - $3 million/year in federal funding for farmland protection.
- $5 million is needed to continue this program in 2010 and 2011.
2. Local Open Space Grants - competitive grants to land trusts and municipalities protect our communities' highest priority lands from development.
- There are no funds left for the 2010 grants (FY 2011).
- These Grants Protect our communities most important: drinking water supplies, shorelines and watersheds, farmland, forests, critical wildlife habitat and natural areas.
- $5 million is needed for the 2010 local open space grants.
3. State Parks and Management Areas - RIDEM purchases in-holdings and adds to state parks. RIDEM also provides funding for special opportunities such as protection of Rock Point. $5 million is needed for special opportunities that arise.
- These programs are a great bargain for RI and a sound investment of the state's capital $.
- Rhode Island only pays 25% of the cost for the state's land conservation programs -
- 75% of the funding for farmland protection and local open space grant projects comes from foundation grants, federal funding, municipal funding and private contributions.
- The State's bond funding provides the seed money - the catalyst - that gets these projects started and attracts matching $ from foundations and federal agencies.
- Without State bond funding, we could lose much of the other funding.
- Without a bond referendum on the 2008 ballot,these programs WILL END.
Frequently asked Questions:
Can we afford this bond? How much will it cost the state each year?
We can't afford to not fund farmland protection and land conservation. Farms contribute $100 million a year to Rhode Island's economy and tax revenue to the state and municipalities. Since 1945, RI has lost 80% of our farmland.If our remaining farmland is developed, we lose that economic contribution AND will have higher state and town costs for roads and other infrastructure.
The state's land conservation programs get a huge discount: 75% off because land protection is paid for with $3 from foundation grants, donations, federal funds, etc. for ever $1 that the state invests in the projects.
State Budget Cost for Principal and Interest per year for each $5 million in bond funding issued as needed for farmland and local grants:
- FY 2009 $ 0
- FY 2010 $ 250,000 (only 1/2 of farmland protection bonds in FY 2010)
- FY 2011 $ 496,875
- FY 2012 $ 484,375
- FY 2013 ... state budget costs continue declining each year
Every state investment of $5 million will protect farmland, watersheds and other important open space worth over $20 million. Thus, for less than $496,900 a year we protect land worth over $20 million. Land prices are down now and state investment for land conservation goes further. These cost estimates are conservative and based on 5% interest over 20 years.
Can the bond wait until next year? Why is this important now?
- Voters can only approve bond initiatives every two years. If we don't have a bond referendum on the ballot this fall, the next opportunity is the November 2010 election.
- Bond funds approved in November 2010 will not be available for programs until 2011.
- The state's farmland protection and local open space grants will be out of funds before the 2010 election and these programs will end. We need to have voters authorize a bond in 2008 so that funds are available in 2009 (Fiscal Year 2010). This keeps our options open and we can issue bonds as the budget permits and needs arise.
For example, without voter authorization of bonds this fall, we would not have the option of issuing bonds the next couple of years to protect farmland or special opportunities that arise such as Rocky Point.
We need your help!
We need to ask the General Assembly to:
1st - keep the bond referendum for land conservation in the budget, and
2nd - increases the proposed bond referendum for land conservation from $5 million . . . we are asking for $15 million
Please make calls and send emails to General Assembly members.
1. Call and email your State Representative and Senators. Type in your address and zip code at the bottom of this web page for contact information. Explain the importance of the open space bond funding to your community and ask them to support a 2008 open space bond referendum for $15 million.
2. Call and email to the 5 key General Assembly leaders:
