NCYS
Legislative Summit & Rally
on Capitol Hill
Legislative Summit and
Rally Showcases LWCF Gains in
Congress
No
where was the support for taking
action now more evident than at
last week's Legislative Summit
and Rally where NCYS joined forces
with Americans for our Heritage
and Recreation organizing more
than 500 conservation leaders,
park, recreation, and wildlife
directors, youth sports advocates,
outdoor and sporting goods industry
leaders joined Members of Congress,
two-time Olympian Donna de Varona,
and Sharon Robinson, the daughter
of the late baseball great Jackie
Robinson, for a rally on the steps
of the nation's capitol and strategy
sessions to advance a permanent
federal commitment to parks and
wildlife this year.
The
week's activities began with a
reception at the U.S. Naval Heritage
Center, hosted by the Trust for
Public Land, and featuring Secretary
of the Interior Bruce Babbitt
and Representative George Miller
(D-CA). Representative Miller
"fired up" the crowd when he announced
that 310 House Members -- or more
than two-thirds of the House of
Representatives -- had cosponsored
the "Conservation and Reinvestment
Act" (CARA, H.R. 701), proposed
legislation of which he and House
Resources Committee Chairman Don
Young (R-AK) were the chief architects.
The
Conservation and Reinvestment
Act (CARA, H.R. 701), which passed
the Committee last November with
strong support from both sides
of the aisle, presents a unique
opportunity this year to revitalize
LWCF. In his remarks, Secretary
Babbitt reiterated President Clinton's
support for a permanent commitment
to conservation through his "Lands
Legacy Initiative" and emphasized
that the strong legislative push
for permanent LWCF funding was
a result of the grassroots pressure
brought upon the Administration
and Congress by members of the
community "beyond the beltway."
The
next day's strategy session featured
a strong group of LWCF advocates,
including John Berry, Assistant
Secretary for Policy, Management,
and Budget, Department of Interior,
John Lawrence, Democratic Staff
Director, Committee on Resources,
U.S. House of Representatives,
and Portland Parks and Recreation
Director Charles Jordan. A panel
of environmental leaders from
The Wilderness Society, Izaak
Walton League of America, National
Parks Conservation Association,
and The Nature Conservancy discussed
the conservation aspects of CARA.
An exciting development in the
campaign was announced as the
Senate introduced companion legislation
to CARA (see Capitol Hill Update"
above).
The
day ended on the steps of the
Capitol Building with a Parks
and Wildlife Rally hosted by Women's
World Cup Chair Donna de Varona
- a two-time Olympic Gold medal
winner -- who brought women's
soccer to the forefront of American
sports during their march to victory
in last year's World Cup. "Challenger,"
the celebrity eagle, who has flown
at the World Series, White House,
and Olympics, flew above the Capitol
to the national anthem. Sharon
Robinson, daughter of the late
great baseball hero Jackie Robinson
proclaimed Major League Baseball's
support for CARA as a vehicle
to build character in children
through organized youth sports.
Many Members of Congress also
spoke in favor of LWCF and of
the urgent need to get CARA to
the House floor for a vote.
Rally
sponsors included the U.S. Conference
of Mayors, International Association
of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,
Americans for Our Heritage and
Recreation, The Wilderness Society,
National Wildlife Federation,
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association,
National Recreation and Park Association,
Izaak Walton League of America,
Outdoor Recreation Coalition of
America, The National Wild Turkey
Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation.
The
summit concluded on Thursday with
a congressional breakfast hosted
by National Recreation and Park
Association, where Representative
Young, senior House Democrat,
Representative John Dingle (D-MI),and
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) received
awards for their support of the
recreation community.
During
the week, conservationists, park
and wildlife directors, recreation
advocates, sporting goods and
outdoor recreation industry leaders,
and members of the youth sports
community also visited their Members
of Congress and urged passage
of a permanent federal commitment
now for parks and wildlife.
Many
thanks to all who participated
in the summit and rally. You are
making a difference!
