| Why Act Now?
Few states are as beautiful as North Carolina. Few states have the ecological diversity of North Carolina. And few states are facing the same development pressures as North Carolina.
Twenty-one people move to North Carolina every single hour. That's 504 new residents a day, or about 184,000 new people every year. That's more than the combined population of Asheville, Burlington and Greenville combined, moving to our state every single year! We've now surpassed New Jersey to be the 10th most populated state in the country. 
While we're happy to have new neighbors, accommodating all those new folks takes space--lots of space. The state DENR estimates that development gobbles up 100,000 acres of working farms, forests and gamelands every year. In last decade more than one million acres of natural and rural areas have been developed. Sadly, North Carolina now leads the country in farm loss.
The crush of new people and related development has also caused land rices to skyrocket: 285% over a ten year period. Once those farms and forests and gamelands are gone, they are gone for good. That means...it's now or never. We have to preserve and protect these lands for future generations NOW. There will be no second chances. Because land prices are going up so high and so fast, Land for Tomorrow feels it would be best if we could borrow as much money as we can, as fast as we can to preserve as many critical lands as we can--while we still can. Specifically, Land for Tomorrow is requesting $200 million a year, for five years, in the form of general obligation bonds. WHY PROTECTING LAND IS IMPORTANT The quality of North Carolina's lands and drinking water are as important now as they were 400 years ago when English explorers declared what they had seen "to bee the goodliest soile under the cope of heaven." Our public health depends on clean water and air and places to exercise. Much of the state's gross product is generated by agriculture, tourism, forestry, fishing and military bases. The future of jobs associated with these industries is in jeopardy. 
Our quality of life and communities are enhanced by our state's parks and trails, places celebrating our history and the sheer beauty of the land. It's a quality that plays an increasingly important role in attracting new businesses to our state.
North Carolina's geographic diversity produces a special variety of native plants and animals that makes this one of the world's ecological "hot spots." North Carolina needs the investment of $1 billion over the next five years to protect and preserve its goodliest land. Every year it becomes harder and more expensive to protect the places that make North Carolina special. We must act now. WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP Land for Tomorrow will be working with the General Assembly to reach the state's goal of conserving a million acres, and ensuring that working farms, forests, gamelands, waterways, parks, trails and other important places will be there to enhance the quality of life for generations to come. We cannot do this without your help. We need you to communicate with your legislators to ask them to support Land for Tomorrow's goals. We need you to spread the word about Land for Tomorrow to organizations you belong to, your family and friends. You can join the effort now to help preserve and protect clean drinking water, working farms and forests, historic places, game lands and parks for future generations to enjoy. Saving our goodliest land will be one of the smartest investments ever made by North Carolina's citizens. Contact Us If you have questions about Land for Tomorrow or if you would like more information please contact us at, 919-403-8558, extension 1037 or by e-mail at info@landfortomorrow.org. |  Article XIV, Section V, North Carolina State Constitution |
