Based on the study the two county Leagues reached the following consensus: The Leagues of Women Voters of Palm Beach County support the March 9, 1999, Bond Referendum to purchase “environmentally sensitive lands, land for water resources, greenways, agricultural lands, and open spaces,” not exceeding $150,000,000.

Our support is based on long-standing League positions promoting stewardship of natural resources to assure their future availability.  Unrestricted development would limit land available for  aquifer recharge and water storage and limit land available for agriculture and open space.

Our support is influenced by the following rationale: The bonds will be issued incrementally, only as land is available for purchase and that approval may unlock matching funds and grants from other government agencies for land purchases. Criteria for land purchases in the Ag Reserve will be developed by the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Acquisition Committee which has successfully managed purchases of environmentally sensitive lands since 1991. Commissioners passed a resolution to that effect on 2/2/99. Purchases will come from willing sellers.

We believe that land purchases could encourage the design of sustainable development patterns by reducing the number of dwelling units in the Agricultural Reserve and creating an opportunity to cluster homes, businesses and services into mixed-use town-like configurations.  Clustering should reduce traffic congestion and allow more efficient delivery of services like water and sewage.  

With the approval of the bond issue we believe that the citizens were sending a message to the County  Commissioners that they care about how the county develops.