Water bond: largest in decade - Proposition 84

Proposition 84 — November 7, 2006 the Clean Water, Parks and Coastal Protection initiative -- is the sixth resource bond endorsed by voters in the last decade...(and it passed!)

The $5.4 billion bond sale will provide funds to protect water quality, preserve coastline, improve state parks and acquire public land for conservation. The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates the total cost of the measure to be about $10.5 billion over 30 years.

"Proposition 84 is endorsed by more organizations and community and business leaders than any other measure on the ballot," said Julie Benson, spokesperson for the Nature Conservancy. Over 450 institutional and individual supporters from across the political spectrum are listed on the Yes on 84 campaign website.

Funds earmarked for water projects make up roughly half of Proposition 84's provisions, while voter-approved bonds in the past decade sent $3.7 billion towards water quality and management projects. All of the previous bonds combined funding for water projects with financing land acquisition for conservation and recreation.

According to backers, water projects and land conservation make a happy union.

The fine print of the measure earmarks various amounts of money directly to environmental agencies. But, as proponents point out, these agencies are all public. For example, it would provide $54 million to the state-run Sierra Nevada Conservancy for various forest conservation projects.

In the area of land conservation, however, public and private agencies often work together to transfer land into the public domain. Audrey Rust, executive director of the non-profit Palo Alto-based Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), said her group helps state agencies by acquiring land quickly and holding it until it can be purchased with government money.