The Environmental Action Foundation (EAF), founded by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), recently contributed $50,000 toward voter education efforts by the Arizonans for Responsible Growth and Coloradans for Responsible Reform to thwart growth-limiting initiatives in those states. According to these proposals, Arizona Proposition 202 and Colorado Amendment 24 were defeated by two to one margins, mainly due to the education efforts of a broad coalition of contractors, local government officials, unions, farmers, emergency service providers and low-cost housing groups. In California, EAF support led to a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that brushed back a suit by environmentalists that could have halted $400 million in road projects.

“These are important victories. Early on, the EAF realized the detriment of these proposals and sprang into action to ensure their defeat. The groups in Arizona and Colorado seek to balance environmental concerns and economic development through community planning, not through the scare tactics of environmental groups. Implementation of these initiatives would have led to harmful environmental and economic impacts for their communities,” said Ralph Johnson, chairman of the EAF.

According to the EAF, Arizona’s Growth Management Initiative 202 would have severely restricted growth in the state with mandated zoning changes and burdensome requirements to state and local governments as well as and developers. Research provided by Arizonans for Responsible Growth showed the economic impact could have been potentially devastating. Between 80,000 to 200,000 construction jobs would have been lost and some counties might not have been able to issue another building permit for 20 years.

Colorado Amendment 24 attempted to change Colorado’s State Constitution by requiring communities to map existing growth areas currently served by water and sewer infrastructure. These maps then would have become the barriers to future growth in the area. The initiative was sponsored by the Colorado Public Interest Research Group and the Sierra Club.

In California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an order preventing the Sierra Club and others from blocking $400 million in road projects. The court states that citizen suits can only target “past or current violations,” not possible future violations. This ruling could curtail some third-party lawsuits.

For more information, call 703/837-5360.

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