Trust for Public Land Celebrates Major Conservation Wins Nationwide as Voters Approve Over $1.9 Billion for Parks, Climate, and Open Space in 2025
Follows King County, Washington’s Recent Approval of a Major Investment in Parks, Trails, and Recreation
Washington, DC — Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced that voters across the country overwhelmingly approved five conservation finance measures in the November 2025 Election, resulting in more than $1.9 billion secured in dedicated public funding for parks, open space, clean water, and climate resilience for communities in all of 2025.
“These victories reaffirm that protecting land, water, and habitat and ensuring close-to-home access to nature is not a partisan issue. It is a shared American value,” said Trust for Public Land CEO and President Carrie Besnette Hauser. “From wildfire prevention in Colorado to outdoor access in Boise and water protection in Pennsylvania, voters in both big cities and small towns are sending a clear message: investment in nature and local economies is an investment in the future of these communities and of our country.”
As a trusted leader in connecting communities to the benefits of the outdoors and advocating for equitable access to green spaces, TPL has actively assisted in designing and advocating for ballot measures in Washington, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Oregon in 2025. Each of these victories reflects TPL’s decades-long expertise in Conservation Finance—helping communities design, advocate for, and win ballot measures that unlock transformative public funding for parks, trails, natural areas, and climate resilience. These measures will:
- Protect wildlife habitat, farmland, and watersheds;
- Expand equitable park and trail access for millions of residents;
- Strengthen local wildfire prevention and emergency response; and
- Safeguard drinking water and enhance community resilience.
“From the Rockies to the Hudson Valley, from the Pacific Northwest to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, communities continue to vote for more protection of their special places,” said Will Abberger, Director of Conservation Finance at Trust for Public Land. “These results at the ballot box demonstrate that investing in parks and conservation is not only supported by the voters, but also good public policy, and a smart investment in the future.”
This builds on TPL’s longstanding success – since 1996, the organization has helped communities nationwide pass 687 ballot measures, generating more than $112 billion in voter-approved funding for parks, public lands, and conservation.
2025 Election Victories Supported by TPL Include:
Clear Creek County, Colorado (58% approved)
- Voters in the Clear Creek Fire District approved a property-tax increase to support the Clear Creek County Emergency Services General Improvement District, generating $23 million over 20 years. Funds will help prevent and suppress wildfires, protect watersheds, and sustain advanced emergency medical services. More Information
Boise, Idaho (81% approved)
- Boise voters renewed their longstanding commitment to conservation by passing a two-year, $11 million property-tax levy to protect wildlife habitat, expand access to open spaces, improve clean-water systems, and manage lands to reduce wildfire risk. For most residents, this costs less than $40 per year while ensuring every Boisean remains within a 10-minute walk of a park. More information
Town of Rochester, New York (59% approved)
- Rochester (Ulster County) voters approved a 1 percent real estate-transfer tax to establish a $6.7 million Community Preservation Fund. The fund will help preserve farmland, natural habitats, scenic landscapes, and historic sites while keeping land in private, productive use. More information
City of Portland, Oregon (55% approved)
- Portland voters renewed a five-year, $456 million property-tax levy to maintain safe, clean, and accessible parks and nature areas. The levy will keep playgrounds and pools open, fund free and low-cost recreation programs, plant trees, prevent wildfires, and restore wildlife habitat—continuing a long legacy of investmentin parks and natural areas. More information
South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania (74% approved)
- Voters in South Whitehall Township (Lehigh County) approved a 0.1 percent increase in the local earned-income tax to fund the community’s 2024 Open Space Plan, “South Whitehall Landscapes.” The measure will protect farmland, drinking-water sources, and wildlife habitat, while improving and maintaining local open spaces for recreation and conservation. More information
King County, Washington (73% approved)
- In August 2025, King County voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1, the Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Levy, with 73 percent of the vote. The six-year property-tax levy will generate $1.4 billion to fund county, city, and park-district recreation areas; open spaces and trails; and beloved regional institutions such as the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Memorial Stadium, and Seattle’s Waterfront Park. Nearly half of the funding will improve park access; one-third will maintain clean and safe parks, and the remainder will help grow and connect regional green spaces. More Information
In an impressive demonstration of bipartisan support for the environment and bolstering community resilience, voters in cities, towns, and counties in thirteen states across the country approved 35 of 38 measures on the ballot in 2025, generating over $3.2 billion in funding for parks, climate resilience, and land conservation, reinforcing the growing demand for clean air, clean water, and protected natural areas across the country.
A complete listing of 2025 conservation ballot measures can be found on Trust for Public Land’s LandVote website at www.LandVote.org
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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised more than $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
