Established by the voters in 2000 and renewed in 2006 and 2012, the Beaufort County Rural and Critical Land Preservation Program has protected more than 20,000 acres of farmland, maritime and bottomland forests, cultural sites, salt marshes, beaches, and tidal creeks in this rapidly developing coastal county south of Charleston.

To protect sweeping vistas of rangeland and mountains, and a deep agricultural legacy, voters passed bond measures in 2000 and 2004 to create and fund the county’s Open Lands Program.

Newark has added and upgraded a number of neighborhood playgrounds and parks in recent years. But in a city where some neighborhoods still lack parks, this work was hampered by the lack of a dedicated source of public park funding. In 2013, 84% of voters approved a property tax levy that generates $1.1 million a year for the Newark Open Space & Recreation Trust Fund.

Leaders in this fast-growing Portland suburb were discouraged when a 2009 ballot measure to fund new parks and open space failed by only 509 votes. But rather than abandon the effort, Tigard leaders came back with a new measure based on a clearer understanding of voter priorities—and ballot language that showed how funding would achieve those priorities.

An overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians—regardless of party or region—value open space and state investments in conservation. (Print version of CT guide)