11-14-1994 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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State Support^ Pose Risk Fcm * Land Conservation State elections into a presidenoal term arc closel v watched for national trends. Which poliri- al parn* scored m gm emors races ’ How .aany new members wiU each pam send .o the L’.S. Concress? W hat does this mean for the Big Elecnon in mo \ears ^ The outcome ot this No\ ember s races tor 56 governorships and some 6.000 statehouse seats will also be cnncal for decisions closer to home. Will the gosemor support a new land acquisition • jnding inirianve? W^lll lawmakers approve an adequate budget lor parks and recreation? Will they authorize a tow n bond or ta-x measure? Will a land ^tcquisition trust lund be di\ ened lor a landfill? Statchouscs have also seen bat tles over a number of pnvaie propern* rights measures, most of w hich hav e up to now* been defeated or weakened. Overlooked in Washington. D C - •sKTUsed election coverage arc nv o impoaant trends w hich provide clues to •ne political climate in which state and local conscn alion policy issues vvill be debated. The first trend is good news. Conserx anon has a place on political aiiendas in a number ot states, ev en though crime, health, and education head he list Notably, a number ot gov emor? hav e spoken out in tavorot saving land. Gov. Roy Romer (D - Colorado), lor example, told state legiLlaiors: “I want Coloradans 50years trom now ... to look back at us as the generanon that had the vision to preserve open spaces. .\nd tiscol conservative Gov. Chnsrine Todd Wlnirman iR - New Jersey) commended New vJersev ans for approving a recent Green .\cres park bond: Thev know a wise in\esTTnent when they see one ‘ The covemors reasons^ .^\ost often, thev mennon the ta\ orable impact on Tounsm revenues and lobs. Others emphasize the importance ol outdoor expenences to piersonal values and tamilv bonds. Sev eral, like Romer. sp>ea* eio- quenily about preserving their states quaiiu of life, beauty, and special lands for the ne.xt generation. High marks for green advocacy were also a plus in balancing election slates. Former state legislators with good conser vation credentials rtinning lor higher oifice include Oregon s KJohn KitZnaber ( D) a candidate lor governor Also. .NVarvlands Sen. Bemic Fowler (D) and prospect is widespread enough to merit a cover stcry in >V ju * on *Windls of change ’ blowing over statehouses. !n change there is opf>oriunm , the saving goes But there is another side. ‘W'e re losing established leadership, warns Tom Novick ol the Western States Center. Among retirees are lawmakers v\ ho came to ottice nding the env iron- mental vv av es ot the 1^*' Os and hav e since mov ed into leadership positions. Conservation stalwarts not running again include Colorado Rep. Ruth W’light (D). w ho helped retain the stale s loncry for land conservation and parks: Pennsv K ama Rep. J. W illiam Lincoln { D). the 1995 maionn leader who helpied steer the success!ul bipartisan proposal lor a dedicated lund through the legisla ture; and Maryland Sen. Gerald “At the end of the ne.xt centun*. what you do this \ ear to presen e \ ermont’s workinir farms and working forests will have a far greater impact than even our successes in health care or propert\' tax reform.” — Gov Hov.ar^i Dean t.» \-.’moni Sen. How ard Denis (R). and Flonda s Sen. Cun Kiser (R). resigned to seek lieutenant £overnors scats The second trend poses more uncer tainty. Political pundits predict that res ignations. renremenis. redistnenng after the 1990 Census, and term limits may result in a third or more new* legislators in a number ol statenouses. The W’megrad <D). who has provided sieadv support lor .\\ary land s pioneering Program Open Space. With cniicaJ land funding issues certain for next year s state legislative aff^enda. conservanonists will need to move quickly to educate the new crop of »rov ernors and state lawmakers. 0 PhvUis 4N\\*ers. EdUtor