Voters Deliver Wins for Conservation Funding at the State, Local Levels
Ballot measures advance conservation funding and habitat protection to benefit birds, people, and communities.
Western Tanager. Photo: Janet Stevens/Audubon Photography Awards
Last week, 124 million Americans voted in the midterm elections, setting a record for turnout in a non-presidential election year. While congressional races dominated headlines, with both the U.S. House and Senate changing party control ahead of the 120th Congress, voters also weighed in on state and local ballot measures with significant implications for conservation funding, habitat protection, and access to nature.
Audubon Action Fund and its partner organization, National Audubon Society, supported ballot measures that passed in Colorado, North Carolina and California. From protecting working farms and forests in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains to expanding investments in urban parks in Los Angeles, voters supported efforts to conserve farmland, water resources, and improve access to nature
Despite these wins, conservation funding faces new challenges statewide in Florida, where voters approved an initiative to change property tax exemptions and assessments, which could lead to cuts in revenue for local conservation programs. The good news, however, is voters in seven Florida counties approving additional local conservation funding, reinforcing that there is support in the state for conservation investments.
A Snapshot of the Ballot Measures that Delivered Conservation Dollars
Below is a closer look at the four ballot measures that either Audubon Action Fund or its sister organization, National Audubon Society, supported and engaged in:
Colorado Proposition 137 – Conservation and Wildfire Prevention Funding
Audubon Action Fund: SUPPORT
PASSED
Colorado voters approved Proposition 137 with approximately 51% support. The measure will dedicate an estimated $175–180 million annually from existing sporting goods sales tax revenue toward land and water conservation, wildfire prevention, watershed protection, and outdoor recreation without creating a new tax. Read Audubon Action Fund’s in-depth analysis of the measure.
Henderson County, NC – Farmland Preservation Bond
Audubon Action Fund: SUPPORT
PASSED
Voters approved a $25 million general obligation bond with approximately 59% support. The measure will fund voluntary conservation programs to permanently protect working farms, forests, and open spaces from development. Read more about the bond and its conservation benefits in Audubon Action Fund’s earlier analysis.
Los Angeles, CA Charter Amendment PRK – Parks Funding
National Audubon Society: SUPPORT
PASSED
Los Angeles city voters overwhelmingly approved the measure with approximately 79% support. The amendment will double the city's minimum parks and recreation funding allocation over the next decade, strengthening investments in urban green spaces, parks, and public access to nature. Audubon's Center at Debs Park highlighted the amendment’s benefits in a recent Instagram post.
Florida Amendment 3 – Property Tax Reform
National Audubon Society: OPPOSE
PASSED
Florida voters approved Amendment 3. It expands property tax exemptions and limits assessment increases, which could create potential reductions in local government revenue available for conservation programs.
However, in a significant demonstration of local support for conservation, voters in seven Florida counties (Brevard, Charlotte, Manatee, Marion, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, and St. Johns) approved conservation-related ballot measures, each receiving at least 73% support. Together, these initiatives authorize approximately $1.2 billion in conservation funding, supporting land acquisition, wildlife habitat protection, water quality improvements, and parks. These local investments represent an important conservation victory, even as communities face uncertainty over future property tax revenue.