Campaign calendar

Election Results
November 7, 2000 - Election

October 25 - Measure I Forum, Santa Rosa JC, Newman Auditorium

October 22 - Rally, Silent Auction, Party!! - at New College

October 18 - On-air Debate: KRBC-FM (90.9)

October 16 - RHI Forum (pro-con + comparison w/Napa Measure J)

October 5 - Measure I Forum, Sonoma Vets Auditorium

September 22 - Subdivide and Conquer: A Modern Western in Petaluma 

September 7 - Benefit screening of Subdivide and Conquer: A Modern Western

July 11 - Press Release: RHI on the November Ballot!

May 22 - Petitions with 26,000+ signatures turned in to County Registrar

March 15-May 20 - signature gathering

            

               

                  
REGISTRATION & TURNOUT: 
         
TOTAL REGISTRATION.........248,179  
TOTAL BALLOTS CAST.........198,562  80.0%
                  
                  RESULTS: 
      
Yes........................78,590   42.6%
No........................105,923   57.4%
                  
               
            
         
         

For more information:   Helen Shane  523-4744

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RURAL HERITAGE TO THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER!

July 11, 2000

The Board of Supervisors today acted to send the Rural Heritage Initiative to the ballot in November. The Staff Report on the Impacts of the Rural Heritage Initiative was released last Friday.

 "We view the County Staff's purportedly neutral analysis of the impacts of RHI as somewhat weighted against the Initiative. Even so, it seems that there are more plusses than minuses, maybe's and might be's, " said AnnaLis Dalrymple, North Bay Representative for Greenbelt Alliance, one of the participating organizations of Citizens for Sonoma County's Future, the organiation sponsoring RHI.

Peter Ashcroft, Sierra Club official and Chair of the Steering Commitee for RHI stated that Staff's opinion of the possible negative impacts on parks was overdrawn and ill conceived. "The sweeping opinion, for instance, that only parks that wouldn't require trails or parking areas would not need voter approval is simply not true," Ashcroft said.

"Claims that the existence of a bathroom or a trailhead constitute too much activity for a passive park are absurd. Such a bizarre interpretation is not even consistent with the County's own definition of a 'passive' park as found in the Outdoor Recreation Plan. Ultimately, it is up to the Supervisors to interpret the General Plan, and it will be up to them to interpret RHI. If the Supervisors decide to place a park before the voters, I am confident that the voters will make the right decisions.  I trust the voters."

John Blayney, retired planner and member of the RHI Steering Commitee commented on the Agricultural portion of Staff's report. "RHI requires a vote only for changing from an agricultural designation to another designation or for increasing residential density. The Board of Supervisors may, without a vote of the people, move B&Bs, campgrounds, and farm family housing around any way it wishes. The General Plan states that housing for farm workers and farm family members is in addition to permitted residential density."

Helen Shane, RHI Campaign Manager said, "There are a number of ways to write impact evaluations. One is to decide beforehand what conclusion will be reached, and explore only those seemingly negative aspects that support the foregone conclusion; another is to assess all impacts, then arrive at a logical, fair conclusion based on the preponderance of evidence. The Staff report virtually ignored the merits of RHI."

The more than 26,000 signatures on the RHI petition, gathered by over 200 volunteers surely indicated to the Board of Supervisors that the citizens of this County want to protect their County General Plan with the Rural Heritage Initiative.

Citizens for Sonoma County's Future, the originators of RHI is a consortium consisting of the Sierra Club, Friends of the Russian River, Sonoma County Conservation Action and Greenbelt Alliance.