Volunteers say ‘yes’ to PDR referendum campaign

By DAVE RANK - Daily News Staff

March 9, 2007

An information blitz is under way promoting a "yes" vote on the April 3 referendum to start a county-run purchase of development rights (PDR) rural land preservation program.

"It’s really about getting people out to vote," said Sue Millin, campaign manager for the grassroots pro-PDR organization Washington County Citizens for Farmland and Nature Areas, the political action arm of the Land Conservation Partnership.

"Surveys have shown 85 percent of the people in Washington County are in favor of (land pres-ervation)," she said. "But how do you get 85 percent to vote, to learn what they need to know and get out to vote?"

With an army of enthusiastic supporters.

Thursday night, the grassroots volunteer group held its opening rally as it spreads its message that a county PDR program will benefit everyone in Washington County by protecting rural farm lands from spreading urban development. More than 70 people attended Thursday night’s rally, held at West Bend Mutual In-surance Co.

"I was glad to see the room full," said Daniel Stoffel, County Board supervisor from the town of Kewaskum and a leader among the pro-PDR faction on the board. "It was very edifying."

"We have over 600 volunteers, and they are coming from all over the county, the farm bureau, sporting groups."

Among the organizations providing volunteers for the "pro" push are the Washington County chapter of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the West Bend and Washington County economic development corporations, sports clubs, some environmental organizations, major employers inside and outside of agriculture and the student governments of the University of Wisconsin-Washington County and local high schools, Millin said.

Despite the presence of four men carrying "No to PDR" signs for a short time at the entrance to the West Bend Mutual grounds, the rally gained at least one new vote already.

"It sounds like a good, positive thing for the county. They got me out to vote," said Fred Bartow from the town of West Bend, after listening to the PDR presentation.

Bartow said he and his wife had not been aware of the issue until Thursday night. "Friends of ours invited us to come along with them tonight," he said. "It was truly an educational evening for us. It answered one big question I had. Conservation increases property values."

The pro-PDR volunteers will "hit the streets and phone lines this week" to promote the program, which is designed to preserve the county’s rural land and water resources, Millin said.

Also at the rally was Rich Klumb from West Bend. He is not a PDR volunteer, Klumb said. "I came here just to learn more about PDR. Because I haven’t made up my mind yet I’m listening to both sides of the story. I learned a lot from the presentation tonight, a lot of things i wasn’t aware of."

Among the tools the volunteers have to work with are yard signs, window decals, posters, fact sheets, phone scripts and CD and DVD versions of a slide presentation explaining how a PDR program would work.

"I’m really for it," said Jim Felt from West Bend, who is volunteering to help pass the referendum. "I’m kind of an environmentalist. I like trees and grass and birds, and I don’t want to lose any of those things. We need to have space for nature in Washington County."

"We’ve really hit a chord," Millin said. "The phone is ringing off the hook and we welcome any and all volunteers for our cause."

Volunteers have been signing up since last year’s county fair, Millin said.

For more information, go to the Web site www.lcpwc.org/-voteyes, or call Sue Millin, 262-707-4981.