[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E256-E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR AMERICA'S RESOURCES 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 1999

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, together with 33 House 
co-sponsors and our colleagues Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Robert 
Torricelli in the other body, I am introducing today the Permanent 
Protection for America's Resources 2000 Act, historic and sweeping 
legislation to restore our national commitment to America's resources.
  Resources 2000 is designed to redeem the solemn pledge made over 30 
years ago to reinvest the profits from offshore energy production in 
our public resources. Billions of dollars have been produced from those 
offshore lands; and yet Congress and past Administrations have failed 
to live up to the initial bargain that pledged a sizable portion of 
those dollars to resource protection for future generations. Not 
surprisingly, those resources have deteriorated over the years.
  The bill we introduce today--with the enthusiastic support of our 
nation's leading environmental, wildlife and historic preservation 
organizations--fulfills that promise of steady, certain and adequate 
funding.
  Resources 2000 will provide permanent, annual allocations for high 
priority resource preservation goals; acquisition and sound management 
of public lands, parks and open space, marine and coastal resources, 
historic preservation, fish and wildlife, and urban recreation 
facilities. Our bill provides states, local communities, farmers and 
others with the resources they need to plan and manage our 
irreplaceable assets.
  Funding for our legislation is taken from part of the over $4 billion 
currently provided annually to federal taxpayers in revenues from 
offshore oil and gas drilling. The legislation does not increase 
revenues from oil and gas drilling and does not impose any new taxes or 
royalties. And unlike the other OCS revenue bills under consideration, 
Resources 2000 creates no incentives for additional leasing or 
development of offshore oil and gas: not in current areas, and 
certainly not in areas covered by legislative moratorium.
  Our bill also contains a far more equitable distribution of revenues 
than other bills which lavish more than half percent of the public's 
money on a half dozen states and shortchange the rest of America.
  I am delighted that we are joined in introducing this bill not only 
by over 20 members of Congress, but also by many of the most broad-
based, grassroots environmental, parks, and wildlife organizations 
throughout this country, including The Sierra Club, The Wilderness 
Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, 
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, National 
Parks & Conservation Association, Preservation Action, National Audubon 
Society, Center for Marine Conservation, US PIRG, National Recreation & 
Park Association, Police Athletic/Activities League (P.A.L.), National 
Alliance of Preservation Commissions, and Scenic America.
  The effort to provide these funds on a permanent basis in an idea 
whose time has come. Five years ago, I called for permanent, full 
funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to preserve our parks 
and public lands for generations to come. If we can do it with Social 
Security and with the Highway Trust Fund, we should be able to do the 
same with the fund the American people were promised to protect our 
national environmental treasures.
  I particularly commend the Clinton Administration for recognizing the 
importance of this initiative in its budget request for the fiscal year 
2000. We are committed to working with the Administration and with the 
sponsors of other congressional initiatives--Senators Mary Landrieu (D-
LA) and Frank Murkowski (R-AK), and my own chairman Congressman Don 
Young (R-AK) and his co-sponsors--to craft legislation that restores 
our resources' legacy, preserves our national environmental heritage, 
protects our coasts, and is enacted on behalf of the American people 
during the 106th Congress.


[[Page E257]]



           Permanent Protection for America's Resources 2000

       (Authors: Congressman George Miller/Senator Barbara Boxer)

       Permanent Protection For America's Resources 2000 is a bold 
     initiative to provide long-promised funding from offshore oil 
     resources for the acquisition, improvement and maintenance of 
     public resources throughout the United States: public lands, 
     parks and open space, marine and coastal resources, historic 
     preservation, fish and wildlife. Resources 2000 will provide 
     permanent, annual funding for high priority resource 
     preservation goals:


        Land and Water Conservation Fund (Federal): $450 million

       One-half of the annual $900 million allocation of the LWCF 
     would be dedicated to Federal land acquisition purposes. 
     These funds would be used to acquire lands or interests in 
     lands as authorized by Congress for our national parks, 
     national forests, national wildlife refuges, and public 
     lands.


       Land and Water Conservation Fund (Stateside): $450 million

       One-half of the annual $900 million allocation of the LWCF 
     would go for matching grants to the States for the 
     acquisition of lands or interests, planning, and development 
     of outdoor recreation facilities. Two-thirds of the funds 
     shall be allocated by formula of which 30% shall be 
     distributed equally among the States, and 70% apportioned on 
     the basis of the population each State bears to the total 
     population of all States. One-third would be awarded on the 
     basis of competitive grants. Modifies the requirements of the 
     State Plan in order to be more flexible in meeting the 
     purposes of the Act.


   Urban Parks Recreation and Recovery Program (UPARR): $100 million

       Matching grants to local governments to rehabilitate 
     recreation areas and facilities, provide for the development 
     of improved recreation programs, and to acquire, develop, or 
     construct new recreation sites and facilities.


                Historic Preservation Fund: $150 million

       Funding for the programs of the Historic Preservation Act, 
     including grants to the States, maintaining the National 
     Register of Historic Places, and administer numerous historic 
     preservation programs. Allows up to one-third of the funds 
     for priority preservation projects of public and private 
     entities, including preserving historic structures and sites, 
     as well as, significant documents, photographs, works of art, 
     etc.


                    Lands Restoration: $250 million

       Provides funds to undertake a coordinated program on 
     Federal and Indian lands to restore degraded lands, protect 
     resources that are threatened with degradation, and protect 
     public health and safety.


     Endangered and Threatened Species Recovery Fund: $100 million

       Creates a dedicated source of funding to the Fish and 
     Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service 
     for the purpose of implementing a private landowners 
     incentive program for the recovery of endangered and 
     threatened species and the habitat that they depend on. 
     Monies would be used by the Secretaries to enter into 
     ``endangered and threatened species recovery agreements'' 
     with private landowners, providing grants to (1) carry out 
     activities and protect habitat (not otherwise required by 
     law) that would contribute to the recovery of a threatened or 
     endangered species or (2) to refrain from carrying out 
     otherwise lawful activities that would inhibit the recovery 
     of such species. Priority will be given to small landowners 
     who would otherwise not have the resources to participate in 
     such programs.


                 Living Marine Resources: $300 million

       Funding for the conservation, restoration and management of 
     ocean fish and wildlife of the United States. Two-thirds of 
     the total would be available to coastal states (including 
     Great Lakes States, territories, and possessions of the U.S.) 
     for the development, revision, and implementation of 
     comprehensive ocean fish and wildlife conservation plans. 
     Funds would be allocated to the states by a formula that 
     gives two-thirds weight to a state's coastal population and 
     one-third weight to the length of a state's shoreline. 
     Minimum and maximum grants sizes will be utilized to ensure 
     equitable funding among the states. To be approved, a state 
     ocean fish and wildlife conservation plan must provide for: 
     an inventory of ocean fish and wildlife and their habitat; 
     identification and prioritization of conservation actions; 
     monitoring of plan species and the effectiveness of 
     conservation actions; public input; and periodic plan review 
     and revision.
       The remaining one-third of funds would be awarded by the 
     Secretary of Commerce as competitive, peer-reviewed grants 
     for living marine resource conservation. High priority would 
     be given to proposals involving public/private conservation 
     partnerships, but any person would be eligible to apply for a 
     grant under this provision. A maximum grant size will be 
     established to ensure that a small number of large projects 
     do not consume the bulk of the funding in a given fiscal 
     year.


   Native Fish/Wildlife Conservation, Restoration, Management: $350 
                                million

       Permanent appropriation for the conservation of native 
     fish, wildlife and plants. It amends the Fish and Wildlife 
     Conservation Act of 1980 (FWCA, 16 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.) to 
     make funding available to the states for the development and 
     implementation of comprehensive native wildlife conservation 
     plans. To be approved, a state's plan must provide for: an 
     inventory of wildlife and its habitat on a state-wide basis; 
     identification and prioritization of conservation actions; 
     monitoring of plan species and the effectiveness of 
     conservation actions; public input; and periodic plan review 
     and revision. Funds are to be allocated on a formula based 
     one-third on the area of a state relative to the total area 
     of all the states and two-thirds on the relative population 
     of a state.
       States are eligible for reimbursement of 75 percent of the 
     cost of developing and implementing state wildlife 
     conservation plans. Federal funds are only available for plan 
     development costs for the first 10 years. As an additional 
     incentive, federal funds will pay for up to 90 percent of: 
     plan development costs during the first three years; and 
     conservation actions undertaken by two or more states. In 
     addition, in the absence of an approved plan, the Secretary 
     may reimburse a state for certain on-the-ground conservation 
     actions during the first five years of the program.


 Farm and Range Land, Open Space and Forest Conservation Grants: $150 
                                million

       Matching, competitive grants to state, local and tribal 
     governments for purchase of conservation easements to protect 
     privately owned farm and range land, open space and forests 
     from encroaching development. To help communities grow in 
     ways that maintain open space and viable agricultural sectors 
     of their economies. Grants could be used to match state or 
     local long term bond initiatives approved by voters to 
     preserve green spaces for conservation, recreation and other 
     environmental goals.

     

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