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Senate Bill Seeks to Restore Grant Monies for Park & Rec Development07-11-06 | News

Senate Bill Seeks to Restore Grant Monies for Park & Rec Development

From left: Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) introduced S.3562 on June 23, 2006, a bill to restore (in part) monies meant for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If your firm does park and recreation work, this issue affects your livelihood. Contact your state senators and encourage their support of the bill.

Back in 1963, Congress declared the creation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (Recreation Coordination and Development Act) to assure ?EUR??,,????'??adequate outdoor recreation resources?EUR??,,????'?? for the benefit of the American people. In 1964, Congress specified the monies for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) would derive from ?EUR??,,????'??various types of revenue (primarily outer continental shelf oil monies)?EUR??,,????'?? and authorized ?EUR??,,????'??appropriations from the fund for matching grants to states for outdoor recreation projects and land acquisition for various federal agencies.?EUR??,,????'??

In subsequent years, additional federal funds were channeled into LCWF, then on Dec. 22, 1987 Public Law 100-203 reauthorized the LCWF ?EUR??,,????'??without change through the year 2015.?EUR??,,????'??

Over the years, LCWF has allotted funds via more than 40,000 grants to state and local governments. Indeed, 94 percent of America?EUR??,,????'???s counties have benefited from these monies. Just to site two examples of LCWF funding to states, according to a 2005 National Park Service State Assistance Program report, over the last 40 years Pennsylvania has received $158,715,009 in LWCF funds for 1,426 projects to assist state and local park and recreation facilities.

Over the same period, the small state of Delaware has received $35,380,948 for 187 projects.

LWCF was receiving some $900 million annually from off-shore drilling royalties, but since 1985 Congress has been diverted most of the money elsewhere. President Bush sought $83 million for 2007, but in May 2006 the House approved only $26.8 million, although 120 members of Congress supported a $220 million figure). A far cry from $900 million.

On June 23, 2006 U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) introduced the Land and Water Conservation Fund Investment Act, bipartisan legislation to provide $450 million annually from the fund for state grants. The source of these funds would be the fees gas companies pay the U.S. Treasury to drill at Area 181 in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This area is just opening for oil drilling.

?EUR??,,????'??When I served on President Reagan?EUR??,,????'???s Commission on Americans Outdoors, the wisdom of a conservation royalty was widely recognized,?EUR??,,????'?? Alexander said. ?EUR??,,????'??The premise is simple: If drilling for oil and gas creates an environmental impact, it makes sense to use some of the proceeds to create an environmental benefit. It also provides a solution for funding conservation efforts in a time of tight budgets.?EUR??,,????'??