On May 23, 2000, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners approved placing a $400 million bond referendum on the November 7 ballot. The funds will be used to:

	Preserve and reclaim approximately 1,425 acres of conservation land, green space, and open space in Broward County.
	Repair and enhance our aging park system to provide safe places for our children to play and parks for everyone's enjoyment.

On election day, November 7, 2000, 74 percent of the voters overwhelmingly approved Broward's Safe Parks and Land Preservation Bond Referendum.

The Bond Referendum is important because it will:

Maintain Our Quality of Life
Preserving Broward's remaining natural lands will help protect our natural water supply by providing open areas for aquifer recharge. Our water supply depends on rain water that filters through the open ground and into an underground aquifer, which provides our drinking water. Preserving land that otherwise would be developed reduces the demand on the existing water supply.

Provide Clean Air
Preserving natural lands protects our tree cover, a valuable natural resource that improves air quality. Preserving the remaining natural lands will save our tree cover and provide areas to plant additional trees.

Preserve Wildlife Habitats
Our wildlife depend on safe habitat for survival. The natural lands left in Broward are home to some endangered and threatened species such as the gopher tortoise, woodstork, and wading birds that are struggling to survive. We need to provide corridors between green spaces, plus feeding and nesting places to ensure wildlife survival for future generations to enjoy.

Provide Safe Places to Play
More than five million people used Broward's park system last year. We need safe places for our children to play and safe parks and natural areas for everyone to enjoy. Our park system is 44 years old. Many of the facilities are showing significant aging and deterioration. Adequate facilities are needed to meet increasing demands to provide positive recreational programs for our kids.

Preserve Our Natural Lands and Limit Overdevelopment
As urban sprawl continues, our remaining undeveloped natural lands are disappearing. If today's development pace continues, in four years those remaining natural lands will be lost to development. This is our last chance to preserve these lands for future generations.