If high school students were the only ones to vote Tuesday ... 

Farmland protection program would win by a landslide

By MITCH MAERSCH - Daily News Staff

March 29, 2007

The purchase of development rights (PDR) rural land preservation program on Tuesday’s ballot will pass in a landslide, if West Bend High Schools students have anything to say about it.

The schools held their own vote on Tuesday as part of a government and law class project. PDR passed 741 (83 percent) to 156 (17).

A PDR is a voluntary program in which easements are bought from rural property owners to prevent future residential or commercial development. Washington County’s proposal calls for $800,000 in seed money to leverage additional funding from state and federal programs for the easement purchases.

Students on Wednesday cited many of the same pluses and minuses of the program that has been hotly contested by registered voters the past few weeks.

"I think it’s a great idea to preserve the land," said Bobby Schotzko, a West Bend West senior.

He bikes through the county and would rather pass through a country setting than an urban one.

It is a good idea, he said, to slow the growth of the county’s population and maintain the small-town feel.

"We don’t want to end up like the next Milwaukee," he said.

West junior Maggie Thelen doesn’t want to end up like Milwaukee, either, but she doesn’t think this program is the one to do it.

"The program is expensive," she said. "I don’t want to cut down all the trees and stuff, but I think we should pay for it differently."

West junior Stacey Tutas isn’t thrilled tax money is being used either, but she thinks this program is worth it to save the land.

"We need it for, like, farming and stuff," she said.

West government and law teacher Randy Reysen organized the vote as part of a class project. The issue was discussed every day in class, and about 80 students ended up running mini-campaigns. Reysen encouraged students to contact County Board supervisors, real estate agents and to use newspaper articles for references.

"I wanted to make sure it was as balanced and neutral as possible," Reysen said.

Students on both sides listed the pros and cons of the proposed PDR program on information sheets that sat on tables next to ballots. They could read the lists before they voted.

"I want the kids to see both sides of an issue and make an informed choice," Reysen said.

Reysen usually chooses a couple of hot-button political issues and holds in-class elections, but for this project, he figured he would take it schoolwide. He got the results he was looking for. Students made more than 100 posters as well as bumper stickers, buttons and T-shirts. Reysen specifically credited West sophomore Nicki Weber for her public relations effort in notifying the Daily News of the election.

"The kids were excited just to be part of the process," Reysen said. "This is exactly what we’re trying to teach - civic participation."

By the numbers

2,416: combined enrollment of East and West high schools

897: votes in the schools’ PDR election (37%)

741: yes votes (83%)

156: no votes (17%)

The explainer

Purchase of development rights (PDR) programs have been in use since 1974, now in in 27 states. The concept has gotten a toehold in Wisconsin to encourage investment in the agricultural industry, minimize land use conflicts and preserve open space and water recharge areas, advocates said.

If approved by the voters, the county-run PDR program would start in 2008 with an initial life-span of 10 years.