“PennEnvironment congratulates the residents of Bucks County
for their decisive vote to reauthorize funding for the county’s open space and
farmland preservation program.
As we’ve known for many years, Bucks County residents from
all walks of life support preserving the county’s rich natural heritage. If
you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, or if you’re from Bristol or New
Hope or Quakertown, voters showed that protecting Bucks County’s landscapes is
important, for now and for future generations of Bucks County residents. Bucks
County residents voted three to one to approve $87 million to preserve open
spaces in Bucks County.
With sprawling overdevelopment encroaching on natural areas
and family farmlands all over the county, voters sent a clear message
today—they want to protect these areas, and they’ll take matters into their own
hands and open their pocketbooks in order to do it.
Voters know that funding for open space conservation efforts
is money well spent. With nearly 15,000 acres of open spaces protected in Bucks
County over the past decade, voters showed that they desire the same sort of
results over the next ten years as well.
Now it’s up to state officials to take the next step to
protect threatened open spaces in Bucks County and across the Commonwealth by
passing stronger land use and zoning laws that will protect our remaining open
spaces and farms.
We can buy the best, but we must zone the rest.
Strengthening our state’s land use laws is the missing link to guarantee that
Pennsylvania is promoting smart, sustainable development and ensuring the
preservation of our most important open spaces, family farmlands and wild
places in the face of growing pressure from developers and the next
controversial strip mall, housing development, or big box store.
