MUNICIPAL OPTION FOR OPEN SPACE FUNDING
I
s your town represented in the
Planning and Development Committee?
If so, you can make a difference at this critical moment.
WHAT:
SB 181 would establish a PILOT PROGRAM to ALLOW BUT NOT REQUIRE certain municipalities to establish a fund THROUGH THEIR OWN LOCAL PUBLIC INPUT/DECISION-MAKING PROCESS to acquire, preserve, and steward open space (including water resources) and farmland at the municipal level by including a conveyance fee of up to 1% paid by buyers of real property.
STATUS:
The Planning and Development (P&D) Committee held a public hearing on SB 181 on February 26 and may soon vote on the bill.
If your land trust is in a town represented by a legislator on the P&D Committee then you are in a key position to influence this proposed option for the pilot municipalities to establish an alternative program to protect and enhance open space and farmland in their communities.
Whether or not your town is named in the pilot bill, the whole state benefits from land conservation and stewardship projects, since they have positive regional impacts on wildlife, air and water quality, and climate change mitigation.
MORE INFORMATION:
