LWCF
and UPARR Initiatives
Building
Conservation Partnerships
-- The Bush Administration
has proposed $1.51
billion in the President's
FY 2002 Budget for
conservation and recreation
purposes, a $250 million
reduction from what
was agreed to in last
year's Interior Appropriations
bill. Among the programs
funded: $37 million
for the Historic Preservation
Fund; $32 for the
Urban and Community
Forestry Program;
$7 million for the
Youth Conservation
Corps; $30 million
for the Forest legacy
Program; $15 million
for the North American
Wetland Conservation
Fund; and $55 million
for the Cooperative
Endangered Species
Conservation Fund.
Maintenance of federal
lands receives $150
million, while NOAA/DOC
marine programs receive
a total of $284 million.
As
part of the initiative,
$900 million is set
aside to fully fund
the Land and Water
Conservation Fund.
However, President
Bush has taken the
same route as former
President Bill Clinton
by tweaking the meaning
and intent of the
program, proposing
the inclusion of other
conservation initiatives
under the LWCF banner:
LWCF's
Federal Program: On
the federal side of
the LWCF program,
the President budgets
$450 million, but
proposes to convert
$60 million of the
fund towards two new
local grant programs
"to provide landowner
incentives and foster
private stewardship."
Local landowners will
receive $50 million
for technical and
financial assistance
to promote habitat
protection, while
still allowing for
traditional use of
the land. And, $10
million will be set
aside for individuals
and groups that engage
in "local, private,
and voluntary land
and wildlife conservation
programs." The remaining
$390 million will
be prioritized for
alternative conservation
practices, including
easements and transfer
of development rights
(TDR's), as opposed
to the federal LWCF's
traditional use of
acquiring land within
national parks, forest,
wildlife refuges,and
other public lands.
LWCF's
Stateside Program:
The President proposes
to sharply alter LWCF's
stateside program
in both its distribution
formula and in its
priority of enhancing
outdoor recreation.
Of the $450 million
allocated, $157.5
will be apportioned
in equal amounts to
all states. The additional
$273.5 will be distributed
to the states under
a formula based on
70 percent population
and 30 percent on
land area. The President's
budget also proposes
to change the nature
of stateside LWCF
so that it becomes
more flexible in its
outreach at the state
level. Not only will
states be able to
use stateside LWCF
funds for their traditional
use in enhancing accessible
outdoor recreation,
they will also be
able to use them to
fund the Urban Park
and Recreation Recovery
Program (UPARR) and
the Wildlife Conservation
and Restoration program,
as well as supplement
the already-funded
Cooperative Endangered
Species Conservation
Fund and the North
American Wetland Conservation
Fund.
The
President seeks to
achieve his proposed
changes by amending
the Land and Water
Conservation Act through
the FY 2002 Interior
Appropriations Act.
Conservation
and Reinvestment Act
(CARA, HR 701)
-- Reps. Don Young
(R-AK), John D. Dingell
(D-MI), W.J. "Billy"
Tauzin (R-LA), George
Miller (D-CA), Chris
John (D-LA), James
V. Hansen (R-UT),
Nick J. Rahall II
(D-WV), Jim Saxton
(R-NJ), Dale E. Kildee
(D-MI), John C. Cooksey
(R-LA), Charles "Chip"
Pickering, Jr. (R-MS),
Robin Hayes (R-NC),
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA),
Mark Udall (D-CO),
David Vitter (R-LA),
Joseph Crowley (D-NY),
Richard M. Burr (R-NC),
Karen McCarthy (D-MO),
Richard H. Baker (R-LA),
Frank A. LoBiondo
(R-NJ), John Lewis
(D-GA), William J.
Jefferson (D-LA),
Rodney Frelinghuysen
(R-NJ), William Delahunt
(D-MA), Jim Ramstad
(R-MN), Jerry Weller
(R-IL) introduced
a new Conservation
and Reinvestment Act
(CARA, H.R. 701) in
the U.S. House of
Representatives in
March 2001.
Similar
to last year's bill,
the new CARA measure
retains the same name
and number, as well
as its provisions
for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund
(LWCF) and the Urban
Park and Recreation
Recovery Program (UPARR).
LWCF is once again
funded at its authorized
amount of $900 million
annually, split evenly
between its federal
and state programs.
UPARR is funded at
$125 million annually.
Nationally, CARA would
fund the following
programs:
| Title
I |
Impact
Assistance and
Coastal Conservation
|
$1
billion |
| Title
II |
Land
and Water Conservation
Fund |
$900
million |
| Title
III |
Wildlife
Conservation and
Restoration Fund
|
$350
million |
| Title
IV |
Urban
Park and Recreation
Recovery Program |
$125
million |
| Title
V |
Historic
Preservation Fund
|
$160
million |
| Title
VI |
Federal
and Indian Lands
Restoration |
$200
million |
| Title
VII |
Endangered
and Threatened
Species Recovery
|
$50
million |
| Title
VIII |
Payment
In-lieu of Taxes
& Refuge Revenue
Sharing |
$350
million |
Changes to last year's
bill include increased
funding to the Historic
Preservation Fund
to its authorized
amount, as well as
adding $10 million
into the title for
maritime heritage
programs. Payment
in-lieu of Taxes and
Refuge Revenue Sharing
are fully funded at
their authorized levels
of $320 million and
$30 million, respectively.
The new bill does
not include the agricultural
easement programs
found in last year's
bill, as those programs
will be taken care
of in the reauthorization
of the 1996 Farm Bill.
The wildlife provision
deposits $350 million
into the newly created
sub-account to the
Pittman- Robertson
Act produced as a
result of last year's
Commerce, Justice,
State Appropriations
Act. Lastly, the new
bill clarifies and
consolidates the Social
Security and Medicare
language adopted during
the floor consideration
of H.R. 701 during
the 106th Congress.
What
You Can Do - Right
now, H.R. 701 has
151 cosponsors! But,
we need to make it
past the magic number
of 218 in order to
pass the bill through
the House of Representatives
(Find out if your
member of Congress
has cosponsored the
bill by visiting and
searching for H.R.
701).
Call
your member of Congress
and ask them to cosponsor
H.R. 701,
the Conservation and
Reinvestment Act (CARA).
You can reach them
via the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Time is of the essence,
so it is important
that you call them
now!
A
couple of points to
remember when making
your call:
1) Yes, the
House passed CARA
last year.
Then, after the Senate
faltered in its attempt
to do the same, an
agreement was reached
between the Administration
and Congress in the
waning moments of
the session that set
aside funding for
LWCF and UPARR on
an appropriated but
non-guaranteed basis.
Because of this, some
members of Congress
may be under the impression
that CARA was enacted
last year. Please
make them aware that
although we were pleased
with last year's House
passage of CARA, we
need them to do it
again so that the
Senate and the new
Administration will
be forced to heed
what they left unattended
in the 106th Congress.
2)
CARA provides reliable
funding for parks
and recreation. The
roller coaster ride
of LWCF and UPARR
funding afforded under
the yearly appropriations
process has allowed
for too many peaks
and valleys in conservation
and recreation funding.
Consequently, the
quality of our nation's
parks, forests, and
wildlife refuges are
being eroded, open
space is being gobbled
up by increasing suburban
sprawl, youth sports
teams are being turned
away due to lack of
fields,and our urban
recreation facilities
are being closed owing
to their deteriorating
conditions. Only reliable
conservation and recreation
funding can alleviate
these problems.
-------------------------------------------
Celebrate America's
Parks, Trails, and
Recreation Places!
Organize a Project
Site Tour, Dedication,
or Ribbon-Cutting
Ceremony for LWCF
or UPARR
The summer presents
an ideal opportunity
to kick off an event
in your community
that will shine a
spotlight on outdoor
recreation. During
this time of year
when we are especially
devoted to conservation
and the outdoors,
you can organize a
press-friendly site
visit or ribbon-cutting
ceremony in a park,
trail, or recreation
area with elected
officials and their
families. The event
can provide great
visibility and a backdrop
to a place that has
recently received
-- or is in need of
--a federal grant
made possible by the
Land and Water Conservation
Fund(LWCF) or Urban
Park and Recreation
Recovery Fund (UPARR).
