Why The Math Equals A Yes Vote On Nov. 8

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Why The Math Equals A Yes Vote On Nov. 8

By Tom Palmer

When the 1994 environmental lands referendum funding was set to expire, the discussion among Polk County commissioners went something like this.

There was already a lot of protected land in the county and what’s the point to going further?

But if you listen to critics of many developments, a recurring theme involves the disappearance of trees and wildlife from the property.

Looking more broadly, a recent column that ran in the Tallahassee Democrat raised the issue of how much conservation land Florida needs.

The column described Florida’s national ranking and calculated that there is only 0.4 of an acre per capita, arguing land acquisition has not kept pace with population growth.

Here in Polk County the situation is worse.

The calculation comes out to about 0.2 of an acre per person.

Without support for additional land acquisition as proposed on the Nov. 8 ballot, the deficit will just get worse as Polk’s population approaches 1 million residents.

To learn more about the effort, go to polkforever.com.by 

Polk Forever Endorsements Growing

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Forever Endorsements Growing

by Tom Palmer

Polk Forever’s efforts to secure funding for renewed environmental lands funding in the Nov. 8 election continues to draw support locally and from around the state.

So far all of the news is positive.

That is a contrast to the 1994 referendum, when land preservation advocates faced organized opposition.

One of the latest endorsements comes from 1000 Friends of Florida, a statewide organization dedicated to supporting sustainable community planning.

“Preserving critical natural lands in Polk County would protect the county’s water supply, wildlife, natural beauty and quality of life,” the endorsement said, adding  “ It would fortify Polk’s reputation among residents, visitors and employers as a great place to live, work, study and play.”

Earlier statewide endorsements have come from Sierra Club Florida, Audubon Florida, the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Florida Ornithological Society.

In its letter endorsing the Nov. 8 referendum, FOS President Ann Paul said the Polk Forever initiative “will provide essential funding to accomplish goals that protect wildlife, including birds, in Polk County” in line with the organization’s previous vote to support the Florida Wildlife Corridor program.

In addition to statewide endorsements, the Polk Forever referendum has been endorsed by a number of local and regional organizations.

They include Lakes Education/Action Drive, Green Horizon Land Trust, Friends of the Polk County   Parks Foundation, Lake Region Audubon, the Tampa Bay Conservancy and Audubon of Southwest Florida.

More endorsements are being sought and are expected between now and the Nov. 8 election.