Partially in response to the report Land for Tomorrow released to the State Legislature on June 12, coverage in print media continues across the state. read more >>

Not much time remaining in the session, and still there is no movement on the Land and Water Conservation Bond bills. read more >>

If you have a blog and want to promote the land and water conservation bond,
read more >>

Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Bill and Nancy Stanback, Cemala Foundation, Marion Stedman Covington Foundation, Educational Foundation of America, Foundation for the Carolinas and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Foundation, Amy Grissom and David Cohen, Ruth Ann Grissom, Robert Wilson Challenge Fund, and others. View a complete list of supporters.

Make a donation.

“These numbers make clear the urgency and difficulty North Carolina faces to preserve the present quality of life in our state for future generations,” said Kate Dixon, executive director of Land for Tomorrow. Dixon presented the report on Tuesday, June 12 before the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Land for Tomorrow is a statewide organization of more than 250 organizations, including local governments and conservation, business, and community groups advocating increased funding for land and water conservation.

Dixon said from 1996 to 1997, state agencies paid an average of $699 per acre for conservation lands. From 2001 to 2002, it was little more than $1,000. By 2004 to 2005, that average was $2,691 per acre -- 285 percent increase. The analysis of costs is based on data collected by the State Property Office on all purchases of land for conservation purposes. 

“The supply of critical conservation areas is dwindling as lands are developed to meet the needs of our rapidly growing population,” said Dixon. “Under such conditions, waiting will only mean higher prices and lost opportunities.”

North Carolina’s population is expected to increase by nearly 50 percent in the next 23 years. More than 100,000 acres of farms, forests and other natural areas are developed every year in the state. More than 3,500 miles of the state’s rivers and streams do not meet water quality standards. 

In 2006, funding requests to land and water conservation trusts exceeded money available by $350 million. The General Assembly’s 1999 goal to preserve an additional one million acres of land by 2009 is less than halfway completed. Land for Tomorrow is urging the General Assembly to pass House Bill 990 and Senate Bill 1522 for a statewide bond referendum to authorize approval of $1 billion in land and water conservation bonds over the next five years.

“With land prices rising faster than interest rates, bond funding makes good fiscal sense,” said Sue Cole, principal of Granville Capital Inc. and Land for Tomorrow ambassador. “The state could save millions by using bonds to buy land now before the prices increase or the usefulness of the land for conservation disappears forever.”

The rising cost of conservation land means that meeting the N.C. General Assembly’s million acre goal will be more expensive the longer the state puts off protection efforts. In 1999, legislators mandated that North Carolina would preserve an additional one million acres of land by 2009 in order to protect drinking water, create state and local parks for our growing population, and protect the most critical habitat for native plants and wildlife. Seven years after the goal was established, the state has only saved 405,521 acres (pdf, 16 KB), putting it more than 230,000 acres behind schedule in meeting the goal.

The full report can be viewed by visiting www.landfortomorrow.org/page401.html.

We're at the point in the legislative session when leaders will make a decision if citizens of North Carolina will be given the opportunity to vote on additional funding for water and land conservation.

The public is crying out for protection of our special places, and your voice should be among them. We are at a critical point in the decision-making process. All they need to hear is that you care! All it will take is a quick phone call or email.

The points are simple:

• Say that you care about clean water and land conservation.
• Ask them to support land and water conservation, and Land for Tomorrow.
• Tell them to let the state's legislative leaders know that you and other voters in your community deeply care about protecting North Carolina's future.
• The time is now to invest in preserving our way of life.

You can send them an email through our advocacy system at capwiz.com/landfortomorrow, or look up the information on the NC legislative website (NC House List; NC Senate List).

Do you read blogs? Do any of these bloggers write about North Carolina environmental issues on a regular basis? Do you think they’d be interested in learning more about our cause?

We are working with bloggers in the state to create buzz in the blogosphere about Land for Tomorrow and the proposed conservation legislation.

If you or your affiliated organization maintains a blog, or you just want to visually show your support for Land for Tomorrow, download a “badge” (a static graphic image) to attach to your website and/or blog.

You’ll also find Land for Tomorrow “talking points” on this Web page, as well as our Blog Roll – a running list of those bloggers already supporting us. Let us know if you’d like us to add your blog/website to our Blog Roll. 

We want your suggestions on blogs to target in our outreach. If you read a blog concerning North Carolina environmental issues that might be interested in learning more about Land for Tomorrow, please contact us.

The following articles have appeared since May 9, 2007:

1. Raleigh News & Observer, Editorial, "Precious Land, Ho" -- June 21, 2007
   
2. Raleigh News & Observer, Letter to the Editor, "Seeking Solutions" by Almetta Armstrong -- June 16, 2007
   
3. This Old State (the Charlotte Observer Blog), Blog, "The cost of saving us from ourselves" posted by Jack Betts -- June 14, 2007
4. Asheville Citizen Times, Editorial, "N.C. must act now to protect undeveloped land" -- June 14, 2007
5. Raleigh News and Observer, Clip, "Groups seek conservation bond issue" by Wade Rawlins -- June 13, 2007
6. Associated Press, Clip, "Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at the North Carolina General Assembly" published in Raleigh News and Observer, Winston-Salem Journal, Charlotte Observer,Fayetteville Observer, Myrtle Beach Online by Gary D. Robertson and Margaret Lillard -- June 12, 2007 and June 13, 2007
7. Raleigh News and Observer, Clip, "Study: Conservation cost rapidly rising" -- June 12, 2007
8. WRAL, Clip, "Report: Cost of Land Conservation Soars" -- June 12, 2007
9. Wilmington Star News, Clip, "Leading by example: Residents win community's heart with legacies of service" by Si Cantwell -- June 7, 2007
10. Fayetteville Observer, Editorial, "Our View: Urbanization of farm and forest won't hold off for better times." -- June 5, 2007
11. NC Policy Watch, Blog, "Profits or Progress" by Chris Fitzsimon -- June 5, 2007
    
12. Fayetteville Observer, Clip, "State debt may delay land conservation plans" by John Fuquay -- June 3, 2007
13. NC Policy Watch, Blog, "'No' is not a solution" by Chris Fitzsimon -- May 31, 2007
14. Asheville Citizen Times, Article, "Television ad raises awareness about N.C.'s population surge"-- May 30, 2007
15. Rocky Mount Telegram, Article, "Property rights" -- May 29, 2007
16. Asheville Citizen Times, Editorial, "Worsening drought forces us to be smarter with water use" -- May 29, 2007
17. Myrtle Beach Online, Clip, "Coalition rallies for new taxes" by Matthew Eisley -- May 28, 2007
18. NC Policy Watch, Interview/Editorial, "Maybe They’ll Surprise Us…" -- May 28, 2007
19. Raleigh News & Observer, Article, "More people, more taxes" by Matthew Eisley -- May 27, 2007
20. Raleigh News & Observer, Editorial, "Future tense" -- May 27, 2007
21. Charlotte Observer, Editorial, "Paying the freight" -- May 27, 2007
22. Fayetteville Observer, Opinion, "Energy: Status quo is doomed" by Gene Smith -- May 26, 2007
23. Charlotte Observer, Article, "Group urges focus on N.C.'s growth" by Matthew Eisley -- May 25, 2007
24. Asheville Citizen Times, Clip, "Bellamy pushes for infrastructure" by Dale Neal -- May 24, 2007
25. Mountain XPress, Article, "Newsflash: Population tsunami headed toward North Carolina. Run!" by Rebecca Bowe -- May 24, 2007
26. WRAL.com, "Partnership Wants New Revenue Source for Schools, Roads, Land" by Margaret Lillard -- May 23, 2007
27. WNCN-TV, "Group Warns of 'Population Tsunami'" by Brian DeRoy -- May 23, 2007
28. Asheville Citizen Times, Clip, "Asheville mayor to participate in press conference today in Raleigh" -- May 23, 2007
29. WRAL News, Story, "New Partnership of NC Leaders Pushes for Meeting Growth Needs Head-on" -- May 23, 2007
    
30. Butner-Creedmore News, Article, "State Funds Help Protect Land and Water" -- May 17, 2007
    
31. Southern Pines Pilot, Article, "State Funds Help County Protect Land and Water"-- May 15, 2007
32. Brunswick Beacon, Clip, "Brunswick County receives $35 million in grants from NC Conservation Trust Funds." -- May 10, 2007