Let The Voters Decide

The people of Newfields, New Hampshire have a choice to make in March. Authorize $1.5 million dollars in bonds to conserve 340 acres, or allow a new development that will increase the size of the town by 20%. Whether they see growth as a positive or negative is completely up to them. The choice comes because of a complex and hush-hush deal between town leaders, the federal government, the Rockingham land trust and land owners. It all played out while a developer was actively moving ahead with plans to lock up the property. The owners quietly agreed to sell the property at a below market price to the town if the land was conserved, otherwise it will go at full price to the developer. Some money has been promised, but the linchpin will be the $1.5 million in bonds. Voters get the final choice.
Another public-private partnership has resulted in 2,600 acres near Asheville, N.C. being set aside. The property was to be the site of a power plant until the owner, Progress Energy decided the plant wasn't needed. Most of the $10.2 million dollar deal came from the state of North Carolina, with $1 million coming from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
Professional conservationists still have until Feb 1st to sign up for a month long paid fellowship to the Kinship Conservation Institute in Bozeman, MT. The fellowship will allow you to spend a month working on an environmental problem your organization has and come up with a market based solution. 18 slots are available, and it comes with a $4500 stipend. Check it out on their website.
And finally, I've added another link in my Nature's Notes. Check out Robert Bryce/Muckraker. Robert is an old friend of mine (we edited the high school paper together) and has been writing about the environment and politics since the days when computers were called typewriters. I found him again with his latest article in Slate, on the Green Neocons. Read the article and buy one of his books. You won't be sorry.