Legislative
Alert #4
June 2000
CARA Proposed Compromise Agreement
PROPOSED
COMPROMISE AGREEMENT TOTAL ANNUAL
FUNDING
Coastal
Programs $805 million
(OCS Impact Assistance [$430 million]
Coastal Stewardship (Commerce Programs)
[$350 million] Coral Reef Protection
[$25 million])
LWCF
$900 million
Federal [$450 million] State [$450
million]
Wildlife
Conservation $350 million
Urban
Programs UPARR $75 million
Urban
& Community Forestry $50 million
Historic
Preservation Fund $150 million
(State and Tribal Grants [$75 million]
Battlefield Protection [$15 million]
Federal Historic Preservation Programs
[$60 million])
National
Park and Indian Land Restoration
Programs National Park Resource
Protection $100 million
Tribal
Lands Restoration $25 million
Conservation
Easements Forest Legacy $50 million
Farm and Ranchland Protection $50
million
Other
Programs Youth Conservation Corps
$60 million
Forest
Service Rural Development $25 million
FS
Rural Community Assistance $25 million
PILT
Fully Authorized Level $325 (estimated)
TOTAL
$2.99 billion (approximately)
SUMMARY OF COMPROMISE AGREEMENT
Under the compromise agreement,
funding for the various programs
authorized in the CARA bill would
be made available without further
appropriation. However, money for
Federal land acquisition projects
could not be obligated or expended
unless approved in an Appropriations
Act. Funding for the other programs
in the bill would not be released
until the approval of the fully
authorized level for Federal LWCF
projects each year ($450 million).
Upon the approval of the Federal
LWCF projects, the funding for all
programs in the bill would be made
available without further action.
Title I Coastal Programs ($805 million)
Provides a total of $805 million
to State and Federal programs that
protect the marine and coastal environment,
or mitigate the impacts of production
from the Federal Outer Continental
Shelf. Excludes money from leases
in moratorium areas, thereby reducing
controversial incentives for new
production.
Provides
$430 million to coastal States having
Federal production off their shores.
The money is allocated by the Secretary
of the Interior as follows: $245
is equally divided among the 7 States
with offshore OCS production. The
remaining $185 million is allocated
based on the relative Federal OCS
production occurring off the State's
coast. Twenty percent of the State's
allocation will be paid directly
to coastal counties and parishes
within the State. The money must
be used for conservation of the
marine or coastal environment, except
that 23 percent of the money may
be used to fund onshore infrastructure
and public service needs related
to OCS activities.
Provides
an additional $350 million to all
coastal States, for a broad array
of coastal and marine conservation
needs. Of this, $250 million is
set aside for general coastal stewardship.
This money is allocated 25 percent
each for relative coastal miles
and coastal population, and 50 percent
divided equally among all coastal
States. The remaining $100 million
is allocated specifically for fisheries
research and management, and cooperative
agreements between the States and
the United States for enforcing
marine and coastal laws. The programs
are administered by the Secretary
of Commerce.
Provides $25 million for coral reef
protection to be divided equally
between the Secretaries of Commerce
and the Interior.
Title II - Land and Water Conservation
Fund ($900 million)
Provides funding for the LWCF at
its fully authorized level of $900
million per year. Funds would be
equally divided between the Federal
and State programs ($450 million
annually for each program).
Although
the agreement provides that LWCF
funding is to be made available
without further appropriation, no
Federal LWCF money could be obligated
or expended unless approved in an
Appropriations Act. Federal land
acquisitions would have to be on
a willing seller basis unless the
underlying authorization provides
otherwise.
The
State-side funding allocation is
changed to allocate 60% equally
among the States and 40% based on
relative population.
Title III - Wildlife Conservation
($350 million)
The agreement establishes a subaccount
in the Pittman-Robertson fund consisting
of $350 million annually. The subaccount
would provide funding to States
for a broad variety of wildlife
conservation programs. There is
no restriction on whether the money
should be used for game or non-game
species; rather, funding priority
is to be given to those species
with the greatest conservation need.
The agreement includes a requirement
for States to develop and implement
a wildlife conservation strategy
within 5 years after the date of
enactment.
The
agreement changes the allocation
formula to increase the minimum
State share from one-half percent
to 1 percent. It also allocates
2 1/4 percent of the total funding
for tribal wildlife programs.
Title IV - Urban Park and Forestry
Programs ($125 million)
Provides $75 million annually for
the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery
program. Provides $50 million annually
for the Urban and Community Forestry
program.
This
Forest Service program focuses on
restoring and maintaining trees,
forests, and greenway corridors.
It provides matching grants to states,
local governments, and communities
of all sizes for technical assistance,
education, and research.
Title V - Historic Preservation
Fund ($150 million)
Provides funding for the Historic
Preservation Fund at its fully authorized
level of $150 million per year.
At least half of the money must
be distributed to States, tribes
and local governments to carry out
their responsibilities under the
National Historic Preservation Act.
The Secretary of the Interior would
have authority to provide funding
for grants as authorized under the
National Historic Preservation Act,
or to make additional distributions
to States, tribes and local governments.
However, Congress would have the
ability to override the Secretary's
funding proposal.
Provides $15 million per year for
the American Battlefield Protection
Program.
Title VI - National Park and Indian
Lands Restoration Programs ($125
million)
Provides $100 million annually to
protect significant natural, cultural,
or historic resources at units of
the National Park System. The Secretary
of the Interior is authorized to
enter into cooperative agreements
with State and local governments
and other organizations. Moneys
from the fund cannot be used to
fund land acquisitions, NPS employee
salaries, road construction, or
projects which already receive funding
through the Recreational Fee Demonstration
Program.
Establishes a $25 million fund through
the Secretary of the Interior for
a competitive grant program to assist
Indian tribes in the restoration
of degraded lands, resource protection,
or protection of public health and
safety.
Title VII - Conservation Easements
($100 million)
Provides $50 million annually for
the Forest Legacy program. This
Forest Service program is a non-regulatory
and incentive-based approach to
keeping lands intact. It assists
States and local governments to
identify important forest lands,
at risk of conversion to non-forest
uses, and protect them primarily
through the use of conservation
easements.
Provides
$50 million annually for Farmland
and Ranchland Protection. The Secretary
of Agriculture is authorized to
acquire conservation easements,
on a voluntary basis, from farmers
and ranchers to keep the land in
agricultural use. The program provides
matching funds of no more than 50
percent of the purchase price for
the acquired easements.
Other Programs Funded
Funds Youth Conservation Corps projects
on Federal lands at its authorized
level of $60 million annually, to
be distributed equally between the
Secretary of the Interior and the
Forest Service.
Provides
$50 million for Forest Service Rural
Development and Economic Recovery
programs. These programs ensure
the long term sustainability of
communities and the environment
by providing technical and financial
assistance to forest and natural
resource based rural communities.
Communities develop their own local
action program to identify the best
opportunities for creating diversified,
sustainable businesses that also
protect natural resources. Projects
range from tourism and value-added
manufacturing to historic preservation.
Provides
annual funding for the Payments
in Lieu of Taxes Program at its
authorized level, which for FY 2001
is estimated to be approximately
$325 million.
Non-Federal
Lands of Regional or National Interest
Establishes a new program under
which the Secretary of the Interior
could make grants to States for
the conservation of non-Federal
lands of regional or national interest.
Projects requiring a Federal contribution
in excess of $1 million require
Congressional authorization. Dedicated
funding is not provided for this
program.
Three
Easy Things You Can Do to SAVE OUR
SUMMERS!
1.
Send Your Senator a Souvenir of
Summer!
June 20th is the first day of summer
and mayors across the country will
proclaim it "Local Parks Day." Summer
is a time for families to picnic
at the beach, view wildlife, hike
in the woods, fish, visit a historic
site or kick around a soccer ball.
The U.S. Senate needs to make the
connection between CARA and the
quality of life for all Americans
that will result from its passage.
Remind your Senators what's at stake
if they sideline CARA during this
Congress. Get your Senators' attention
by sending them toy binoculars,
trail maps, fishing gear, beach
toys, historic site souvenirs, soccer
balls, and other souvenirs of summer.
Be clever and creative. Sending
a summer souvenir will make CARA
stand out from the rest of the mail
pouring into their offices. (See
the "SAVE OUR SUMMERS" flyer below
to find out how to participate)
For the biggest impact, send in
your "Save Our Summers" Souvenir
by June 20th!
2.
Celebrate Independence Day with
Your Senators!
Senators will head back to their
districts to celebrate the Fourth
of July with their families and
constituents. This patriotic holiday
is an ideal time for Senators to
campaign and make public appearances.
Attend any event where your Senator
will be speaking, such as a county
or state fair, a fundraiser, a town
hall meeting or a local parks fireworks
celebration. Carry a sign, wear
a homemade T-shirt or pass out literature
conveying a pro-CARA message. If
the opportunity arises, ask your
Senators publicly whether they know
the importance of CARA, support
it and what their plan is for ensuring
its passage.
3.
Come to Washington, DC! July 19,
2000 is CARA Congressional Education
Day!
Join other CARA supporters in Washington,
DC, for a national Congressional
Education Day. On July 19, 2000,
hundreds of conservation and recreation
leaders, including mayors, park
and recreation directors, wildlife
leaders, youth sports activists,
wilderness advocates, sporting goods
leaders, historic preservationists
and others will gather in Washington,
DC, to visit their Senators for
one last push for CARA before the
August recess.
More
details will follow shortly, but
mark your calendar NOW!
