For Immediate Release
June 2, 2005
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A just completed Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey of registered voters clearly documents overwhelming support for the goals and specific proposals of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Initiative (JTHG).

View a copy of the full report
This is a PDF document of the 38 page report

This public-private partnership includes more than a 100 national, state, regional and local organizations that advocate collaborative efforts to support the heritage, the quality of life and the economy along the Rt. 15 Corridor, generally following the Old Carolina Road.

“The findings of the survey are clear; voters of the region give a high rating for their quality of life and they attribute that high rating to the region’s wealth of natural, historic and cultural assets,” said Larry Harris , a principal with Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. “Resident’s have a meaningful sense of community and express a great appreciation for the parks, historic sites, farmland, small town and rural character of the region and they want it protected.”

• Voters were asked to rate the importance of specific regional characteristics that contribute to the quality of life.
• Not only did 96% of voters rate the region’s Parks and Natural Resources as important to their quality of life, the intensity of opinion was striking, with 76% saying ‘very important’ and just 20% saying ‘somewhat important.’
• The region’s wealth of ‘historic and cultural’ assets were similarly rated with 94% saying important.
• Ninety-three percent (93%) rated the regions farmlands and agricultural community as important to their quality of life, and
• The region’s ‘historic rural and small towns’ were rated important by 94% of voters.

However, a third of voters (30%) stated that the quality of life had deteriorated over the past 5 years and 61% attribute the deterioration of the quality of life to the impact of growth and sprawl. Eighty-two percent (82%) of voters said that their quality of life will deteriorate further if the current type and pace of growth continues.

Polling Summary, add one

“Voters feel threatened and rate growth management as the number one issue facing their counties and region. Unfortunately, local officials get very poor grades for handling these issues,” said Harris. Seven-in-ten (70%) of voters gave a negative rating to local officials for managing growth in their county. “Voters are looking for solutions and leadership… they clearly see the Hallowed Ground initiative as a mainstream and common sense approach to protecting what they value most about their community and region,” Harris concluded.

The survey documented that the goals of the Initiative are supported by a large majority of voters (81%) and that specific proposals for economic development, transportation, protection of the quality of life and conservation of the region’s rich natural and historic character were supported by 9-in-10 voters (90% plus on average).