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 The
Nature Conservancy of California
201 Mission Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-777-0487
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Leahy
Monterey Project Director, 831-333-1722
EIGHTY
PERCENT OF VOTERS SUPPORT POLICIES IN CURRENT VERSION
OF MONTEREY COUNTY GENERAL PLAN
Monterey
County, September 12th – Quality of life and conservation
issues in Monterey County concern an overwhelming number of area
residents and voters, 80% of whom are likely to support a General
Plan Update (GPU) containing strong protections for clean air, water,
and other natural resources, a recent public opinion survey shows.
Fairbank,
Maslin, Maullin & Associates (FMM&A), a public opinion research
firm with expertise in community opinion and survey research, recently
completed a survey of 500 Monterey County residents as part of The
Nature Conservancy’s ongoing public assessment studies for
statewide and local projects. The Monterey County survey, which
includes a sampling of all demographic groups across the County,
explores voter attitudes on issues related to growth, conservation,
and the protection of land, air, and water.
The
survey results reveal continued voter concern about issues like
housing costs, traffic congestion, loss of open space and farmland,
and the quality and availability of water in Monterey County. It
showed that the intensity and level of concern among voters on key
issues such as traffic, pollution, and clean water has increased
since a similar survey was conducted one year ago.
The
poll also evaluated the public’s attitudes towards the policies
and objectives of the draft GPU currently being considered by the
Board of Supervisors. The GPU will establish policies under which
future residential, commercial, and industrial development will
be allowed over the next 20 years, including policies to protect
farmland and open space. Eighty percent or more of respondents say
that they support a GPU that incorporates the following policies:
- Focusing
new development in existing cities and newer sites such as Fort
Ord and Rancho San Juan;
- Prohibiting
subdivisions of less than 40 acres in rural areas;
- Requiring
developers to pay for and provide adequate water, roads, and community
facilities before development can proceed;
- Directing
development away from natural areas such as Big Sur, Elkhorn Slough,
and river corridors;
- Reducing
traffic and building new bypass roads in areas such as Salinas
& Prunedale; and
-
Promoting affordable housing.
The
poll showed strong support in every supervisorial district and a
willingness among respondents to make financial sacrifices to ensure
that growth and development are effectively managed and carefully
located to protect air, land and water. A majority indicated a concern
that development and growth should be managed, even if it means
certain restrictions in order to do so.
"These
results show that Monterey County voters and residents feel very
strongly about a number of quality of life issues. The public views
the current draft GPU as a good proposal, because it sets forth
clear policies to manage growth, promote affordable housing, protect
land, air and water, and preserve the quality of life for future
generations," said pollster John Fairbank, of FMM&A.
"These
results affirm what I’ve been hearing from my County constituents,"
said Congressman Sam Farr. "The Board of Supervisors has done
a terrific job on the current draft plan – and clearly, it’s
viewed as a reasonable approach to improving quality of life for
all residents."
Said
John McCaull, California Director of the American Farmland Trust,
"Farming and ranching must be protected in Monterey County.
I’m gratified to learn that the public supports a well-rounded
plan that includes agriculture, affordable housing, and effective
management of traffic and growth."
"Monterey’s
beaches & bays, rivers & streams, and natural lands provide
the clean air we breathe and the safe water we drink, critical to
our special quality of life and worth preserving for our families
and children, and the children of future generations. The people
of Monterey County are the inheritors and protectors of these resources
and great local treasures, like Monterey Bay, the Big Sur, Arroyo
Seco and Elkhorn Slough," said Bill Leahy of The Nature Conservancy’s
Monterey office. "The Nature Conservancy has worked in the
community for over 30 years and looks forward to continuing our
work with the citizens and all interests of Monterey to ensure these
community values are preserved."
###
The
Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit membership organization
whose mission is to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities
that represent the diversity of life by protecting the lands and
waters they need to survive. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy
and its 1,000,000 members nationwide have safeguarded more than
12 million acres in all 50 states and Canada. The Conservancy has
also worked with the like-minded partner organizations to preserve
more than 80 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, the
Pacific, and Asia. California is the Conservancy’s largest
state chapter and a leader in program development. Headquartered
in San Francisco, The Nature Conservancy of California has 118,000
members and has protected more than one million acres in the state.
[Return
to County Plan Update Issues and Actions]
posted
09/23/02
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