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www.landfortomorrow.org 3 A705 University Dme ° Suim?90 T 919-dU3-8558 ext 1009 or 1037 D°r6am. NC ?7707 F')19-003-0379 LAND for TOMORROW Saving the Goodliest Land: AFive-Year Plan for Investing in North Carolina's Land, Water, History and Future Executive In 1585, Six \X/alter Raleigh sent Lieutenant Ralph Lane and a group of surve}'ors to establish the First English colon}' in the New \Y/orld..-ldvcnturing oEERoanoke Island, L.ane's men explored the mainland to the west and declared it "to bee the goodliest soile under the cope of heaven" That "goodliest soile" became North Carolina. Since then the farms, Forests, fields, mountains, rivers, sounds and oceans have provided livelihoods for our citizens and astonished visitors with their beauty. Lane's men were right: we truly live in the "goodliest" land. Today, the quality of North Carolina's natural and rural lands and its water :ue just as important as they were 400 years ago. • A significant amount of the state's jobs and gross product depend on quality land and water including those in tourism, agriculture, forestry fishing and on military bases. • Other businesses strongly consider quality of life and a healthy environment for their employees when they make decisions about where to locate. • Public health depends on safe drinking water, clean air and places to exercise. • Our quality of life is enhanced by die state's parks and trails, places celebrating our lilstory and the sheer beauty of the land. • North Cazolina's geographic diversit}' produces a special variety of native plants and animals that makes this one of the world's ecological "hot spots." North Carolina is a "hot spot" fox people. Between 1990 and 2000 our population grew by 21% and is expected [o increase by 50% by 2030. You can travel aknost an}nvhem in North Carolina and see firsthand the pressures our population creates on the land. more than one million acres of natural and rural areas have been developed over the last decade. North Cazolina lost more prime Farmland behveen 1987 and 1997 than any other state except Olaio and Texas. And Eor the fast time since the 1930x, forest acreage declined. To help protect these critical areas, the General Assembly created dte Clean Water bfanagement Trust Fund, Farniland Preservation Trust Fund, Natural Heritage Trust Fund and Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. The General Assembly also set a goal of conserving one million acres of critical lands behveen 2000 and 2009. Significant progress bas been made, but efforts have fallen short because of lack of funding The Farmland Preservation Tmst Fund has received no funding for the last hvo years. In 2004, the Clean Water bfanagement Trust Fund had only $62 million in appropriations compared to $350 million in grant requests Protecting our critical land is only going to get harder and mote costly, Because of the need to expand land and historic conservation efforts in North Cazolvta, several of the state's leading nonprofit organizations joined together to form Laud for Tomorrow in 2003 Their goals are to: • Bttild awareness of [he importance of land conservation and historic preservation to North Carolina's Future • Advocate for expanded funding to meet that need.