POS rally

Towson event draws attention to budget raids

Members of a Maryland environmental group will rally Monday in Towson to draw attention to the state's repeated raids on a fund designed for acquisition and development of parkland.

Environment Maryland, a citizen-based environmental advocacy organization, will lead the rally, to be held 10:30 a.m. Monday at Towson Manor Park. Officials seek to build support for Program Open Space, Maryland's leading land preservation program.

Established in 1969, POS is funded through a transfer tax paid on every real estate transaction in Maryland. POS funds are used to build parks, protect forests and open space and preserve farms. Since its inception, POS has helped to protect 217,000 acres of farmland, 247,000 acres of parkland, and helped create over 4,350 local and state parks.

That record has made POS a national model for park development and land preservation.

However, over the last four years the governor and legislature have taken over $400 million from the fund to help balance the state's general budget. The program was fully funded this year, but with the state anticipating additional budget deficits in the next four years, POS remains vulnerable to future raids.

While we in Western Maryland may be removed from Monday's rally, our communities have directly benefited from Program Open Space. Virtually every state, county and local park acquisition or improvement is funded at least in part through POS.

This election year, candidates need to be clear about where they stand on this vital program. POS must be shielded from future budget raids.

For more information on the rally or Environment Maryland, visit www.environmentmaryland.org.