POST Supports Proposition 84 on November Ballot

September 21, 2006

As Election Day (November 7) draws near, POST is announcing its support for a bond intended to protect California's natural resources. The bond is known as Proposition 84, or "The Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006."

"Past bonds have had a direct impact on the natural beauty, recreational opportunities and working farmland of the Peninsula," said POST President Audrey Rust. "Passage of this bond will allow all of us to protect these resources for people here now and for future generations."

The bond contains nearly $5.4 billion in funding for the protection of the state's drinking water, watersheds and other natural resources. It will appear on the ballot following four other bonds for roads, schools and other projects.

If the bond passes, more than $1 billion would be directed toward state programs, many of which are directly related to POST's mission to preserve open space on the San Francisco Peninsula. Previous bond acts have provided a significant source of funding for Peninsula land protection by bringing in more than $42 million, over the past five years, to save land on the coast. To date, that money has been used to save 14,532 acres of open space along the San Mateo Coast, including rolling coastal hills, sandy beaches, lush redwood forests, rich wildlife habitat and prime agricultural lands.

Importantly, bond measures provide the only reliable source of steady funding for the public agency partners that play a significant role in the permanent protection of natural resources and agricultural lands, including the California Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board and California State Parks. POST works closely with these agencies to craft innovative public-private partnerships that result in the protection of thousands of acres of Peninsula land. Successful passage of the bond will allow these agencies to carry out their missions of preserving California's natural treasures.