We’re voting “YES!”
“Today, we walked the East Point Nature Preserve. The kids favorite spot to take a walk on the island. We’ve been going at least once or twice a week!” This quote was posted by an island mother who like many other island mothers, families and visitors use the several island park preserves on Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Islands.
The Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and the Put-in-Bay Township Park District have worked hand in hand together to not only preserve the nature of the island, but also to provide quality enjoyment of those areas for every man, woman and child. The preserved areas also provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals. It’s a win win for the islands!
To take care of the existing preserves and have the opportunities to protect and preserve other prime parcels on the islands, it takes money. The Put-in-Bay Park District is asking voters for a 1.1 mil levy in November so its members and supporters can continue to do their great work. The levy equates to $38.50 per year for each $100,000 of taxable property value, which is only $3.21 per month to continue the conservation and preservation of our islands’ natural treasures. No one wants higher taxes, but the protection of what most hold dear is certainly worth the price of one meal out these days.
Some people have said enough land has been preserved. In reality, the total amount of preserved land amounts to a total of 150 acres on both Middle Bass and South Bass, a total of about 6.5% of their combined acreage. In this day and age when many wish to escape from the suburbs and slurbs on the mainland to enjoy what the islands have to offer, this figure is minuscule. If you ask islanders and visitors alike, what’s on the top of their list when it comes to living or visiting the islands, we can guarantee you that more development is nowhere near at the top of their lists.
Some say that nature preserves take land away from the tax base. In reality, the costs of development are far more expensive for local governments when it comes to the needed infrastructure, policing and safety services they require. A very small percentage of your real estate taxes, other than taxes for education, comes directly back to the local governments on the island.
And lastly, when it comes to a legacy of what we leave to future generations, how sad will it be if we choose unbridled development of the islands with condos, modular homes and all the other things current island zoning regulations allow.
With all this in mind, please help preserve the islands we all love by supporting Issue #21 when you go to vote at the Put-in-Bay Senior Center on Tuesday, November 8th.
The previous piece is published in this month’s Put-in-Bay Gazette. The Gazette has been producing incredible independent Put-in-Bay island news for over 40 years. If you have any interest at all in what is happening on South Bass Island, we urge you strongly to subscribe to the Put-in-Bay Gazette. One-year online subscriptions are only $15, and print subscriptions are available as well. To subscribe please click here.
This piece of Put-in-Bay journalism has been provided to putinbayonline.com courtesy of the Put-in-Bay Gazette, Put-in-Bay’s only local newspaper. Visit their website putinbay.news for more information and to subscribe!
