P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985
LTE printed in the Capital Times
Dear Editor:
County Executive Kathleen Falk should be commended for budgeting $5 million for land conservation in her 2006 budget. This level of funding shows her commitment to preserving open space and protecting Dane County's environment. It shows foresight and good planning as well, since land prices are increasing anywhere between 10 and 60 percent per year.
The conservation fund, which is used to acquire lands detailed in the Parks and Open Space Plan, was created with the support of 75 percent of voters after a 1999 referendum. Increasing its funding now allows the county to better fulfill the will of the voters by protecting more land.
Land is only bought from willing sellers, and is often bought in partnership with local governments and nonprofits. These partnerships mean that the county often bears as little as 25 percent of project costs, and is able to buy land at an average of 40 percent of the appraised value.
We hope that county supervisors will support this level of funding and allow the Conservation Fund to continue to provide recreational opportunities and protect our valuable natural resources for all of Dane County's citizens.
-Chairman Brett Schumacher, Julian Zelazny, Ron Richardson, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Michael Simons, Gary Giorgi, Progressive Dane Environmental Task Force
Posted by prodane at October 15, 2005 05:13 PM
We, the members of Progressive Dane, join together to form an independent political party in Dane County with a major focus on local issues. We pledge to work to improve the quality of life in Dane County for all people, particularly those marginalized by economic and social discrimination. We will work to improve our local government by making it open, easier to understand, and accessible for all citizens of Dane County. We are working to achieve positive policy change by electing accountable progressive officials and mobilizing citizen action.
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