California Voters Pass Record $4.1 Billion Package For Parks And Open Space

SAN FRANCISCO, June 6, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- California voters Tuesday approved a record $4.1 billion package of bonds to provide parks, open space, clean water and help fight climate change in the state.

For details on what Prop. 68 means for Californians, please see this video.

"The passage of Prop. 68 is a tremendous achievement by California voters. It will provide parks, green space, and water protection for all Californians, no matter what part of the state they live in, and no matter their economic status," said Diane Regas, President and CEO of The Trust for Public Land.  "Every Californian should have a great park within a 10-minute walk of home, and this will help move millions closer to that goal."

"This is the largest single investment in under-served communities in the history of the state," said Ms. Regas.  "This will help future generations of California families have good parks near where they live, clean drinking water, and help in the fight against climate change."

She also noted that "in a time when American voters are so divided, it's clear one of the things which unites us all is our support for parks and protecting open space," she said.  "And for 20 years, we've seen that at The Trust for Public Land.  In the past two decades, we've helped local communities pass more than 500 ballot measures, creating $68 billion for local parks and conservation in 35 states."

Prop. 68 provides:

• More than $1 billion for parks and green space in communities that need them most.
• More than $1 billion for climate resilience-- wildfire protection, flood prevention and drought preparedness.
• More than $100 million for improving access to the outdoors-- including transportation programs for disadvantaged youth.
• More than $300 million for river parkways and urban stream restoration to create more livable communities.

The Trust for Public Land worked with Gov. Jerry Brown, and a bipartisan coalition in the state legislature to put the measure on the ballot.  "We appreciate all the leadership from our elected officials and key partners to get this over the finish line," said Ms. Regas.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.

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SOURCE The Trust for Public Land