Data and code for: The Effectiveness of Local Conservation Ballots

There is increasing global recognition that addressing biodiversity loss is critically needed and requires ambitious goals, yet there is little empirical evidence on the impact of existing funding on key ecosystem indicators. In this study, we link data on county and municipal ballot measures for conservation projects with high resolution data on bird abundance. We exploit sharp discontinuities in the vote margin to estimate the causal effect of ballot measure approval on relative bird abundance. Our results suggest that conservation ballot measures have a positive impact on the relative abundance of birds that accrue over 7-10 years after ballot approval. Additional research is needed, however, to fully examine the dynamics of bird abundance following successful conservation ballots.<br><br>