TPL: Voters Approve $16 Billion+ for Parks, Climate and Conservation

Demonstrating broad, bipartisan support for the environment and bolstering community resilience to address a changing climate, voters in 2024 approved more than $16 billion in funding measures for parks, climate resilience and land conservation, according to Trust for Public Land. For the November 2024 election, TPL worked closely with 23 states and localities to design, support and advocate for ballot measures that will enhance equitable access to parks, protect vital natural areas and secure funding for climate-resilient infrastructure. Twenty-two of these measures have been approved. From California to South Carolina, voters voiced their overwhelming support for these critical investments.

“The 2024 election demonstrates voters’ continued commitment to a healthier, more resilient future for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation,” said Will Abberger, director of Conservation Finance at Trust for Public Land. “Once again, investment in parks and the outdoors has shown that these issues transcend partisan politics. TPL is proud to lead this national movement to unite Americans for a better future.” 

Among the ballot measures supported by TPL and approved by voters in 2024 were a statewide Proposition in California that makes funds available for school improvements, including community schoolyard projects, a measure in City of Lakewood, Colo., to protect parks and open spaces, general obligation bonds in the City of Chamblee, Ga., for parks, trails and outdoor recreational areas, a statewide measure in Maine to invest in design, development and maintenance of trails, and funding for Bernalillo County, N.M., parks, aquatic centers, community centers, playgrounds, ball fields and more.

TPL is the national leader in supporting communities, and advising state and local governments, to design, pass and implement state and local public funding measures for parks, climate and conservation. Since the inception of its Conservation Finance program in 1996, TPL has helped pass 679 ballot measures—an 84% success rate— protecting more than 4 million acres and securing more than $110 billion in voter-approved funding for parks, land conservation and climate change mitigation. 

A complete listing of all November 2024 conservation ballot measures can be found on the Trust for Public Land’s LandVote website at www.LandVote.org