Land Conservation Purchases

Some believe that the county should not be making land conservation purchases during these difficult economic times, and even support a moratorium against all new land purchases. Moratoriums remove the responsibilties of elected officials to make informed decisions on issues that come before them. My constituents and all Dane County residents deserve to have their elected officials make informed decisions by obtaining the facts, assessing costs and benefits, processing the strenghts and weaknesses, and ultimately be accountable to their constituents by voting for or against individual proposals.

Consider the following facts: while the 2009 Dane County budget included funds for land conservation purchases, the County Board approved only 2 important land purchases from these funds that presented unique opportunities for the county - the Anderson Farm which had been previously negotiated and agreed upon (and which came with a foundation for future maintenance costs), and the Christensen property, (in which the county can recoup costs by re-selling a portion of the property including a house). Total costs of these purchases were less than $1 million. And while the conservation funds were frozen, the decision was made to move forward with the planning to expand the trestle bridge over upper Mud Lake, which will increase boating safety and potentially help reduce flooding on LakeMonona.

The Board is also showing restraint for land purchase proposals that include cost-sharing from the State and Federal Government, recognizing that although the county's proportion of costs are minimized, it does not automatically make them a "good deal" for the county. A case in point being the recent re-referral of a Cross Plains property at a price that many felt was unreasonably high.

Rather than a moratorium, the County Board should continue to make tough decisions regarding land purchases approving only those that make economic and environmental sense during these difficult times and have a high payback for our future. Think of what the U.S. would look like if they didn't make the Louisianna Purchase during those difficult times, or where Madison would host great events like Rythm and Boom if not for Warner Park, which was purchased during the great depression.