Book excerpt: Between 1996 and 2002, the Trust for Public Land helped communities design and pass ballot measures that raised more than $28 billion to fund parks and open space across the country. With growth and sprawl rapidly overtaking their open lands, communities are voting in record numbers to put money aside for conservation. Voters are coming to recognize the interrelationship between conserved land, a safe environment, a strong economy, and a livable community. Well-designed finance measures that reflect the unique conservation needs and funding capacities of their communities have a much better chance of passing. Writer Kim Hopper and the Trust for Public Land's team of conservation finance experts have put together a soup-to-nuts handbook on park and conservation funding. Designed for community leaders and involved citizens, local government officials and conservation professionals, this how-to guide explains the complex process of securing federal, state, and private conservation funds and--most importantly--researching, designing, and passing a local, voter-approved conservation finance measure. This book covers a range of campaign issues, from fundraising to field organizing to legal considerations.