Land Conservation and Open Space Referenda Map

In Florida, land conservation and open space referenda pass. Of the 103 referenda put to voters since 1999, 87 have passed (85%) with 64% of the voters in favor. They pass in rural and urbanized communities, and in conservative and liberal counties. Voters approved an additional $4.8 billion in local taxes to fund the programs, in addition to the billions of dollars that the State and federal government spend in Florida. This is because with a local program, the community gets to protect places that are special to them and that may otherwise fall under the state or federal radar. They can also use their local program funding to attract those state and federal dollars, leveraging their smaller pots to protect more land that ultimately benefits them. Use this map to explore Florida’s County and Municipal land conservation and open space referenda.