[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H6007-H6010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to talk about the Land
and Water Conservation Fund, our Nation's most important conservation
and outdoor recreation program.
For more than 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has
conserved our Nation's most cherished natural spaces and historic
landmarks. This groundbreaking program, created and reauthorized on a
strong bipartisan basis, has protected and expanded iconic landscapes
in every State and is responsible for more than 40,000 State and local
outdoor recreation projects, from playgrounds and baseball fields to
urban parks and nature refuges.
By reinvesting revenues from offshore oil and gas development in
communities across America, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has
become ``America's best parks program.''
In my home State of Arizona, the fund has provided approximately $223
million in funding to help preserve iconic places like the Grand
Canyon, Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and the San Pedro
Riparian National Conservation Area.
Recently, I had the pleasure of joining National Park staff and
students from Cholla High School, Desert View High School, and Pueblo
High School for a day of appreciation at Saguaro National Park West.
For many of the students that joined us on this visit, this was their
first visit to Saguaro, despite it being a 15-minute drive from Tucson.
Saguaro officials have leveraged the Land and Water Conservation Fund
funding to benefit Arizonans, the desert tortoise, Gila monsters, and
other desert wildlife that call Saguaro home. Without it, our students
would have had a smaller national park to experience, less to learn,
and less to enjoy.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund has preserved iconic sites like
this all over the country. Our trip to Saguaro was hardly unique. These
stories of discovery happen every day thanks to the Land and Water
Conservation Fund.
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Unfortunately, the fund's authorizing legislation expires on
September 30, 2015. Six legislative days remain before the clock runs
out. The stakes are high.
If the Land and Water Conservation Fund is not renewed, special wild
areas will be at greater risk of overdevelopment, and our Nation's
ability to conserve lands for future generations will be severely
undercut.
Congress should build on the Land and Water Conservation Fund's
legacy. We should stop playing political games and do what the public
clearly wants us to do. We should permanently reauthorize and fully
fund the program. It is that simple.
The House Republican leadership has not acted to extend the Land and
Water Conservation Fund. They seem perfectly content to let it expire.
Rather than meeting with their fellow legislators and reaching a
compromise, as Senate Republicans have done, the House Republican
leadership, once again, has shown an inability to do what is best for
sportsmen, the outdoor industry, recreation enthusiasts, and wildlife.
By allowing the fund to expire, they serve no one's interest and create
a deficit in our legacy as protectors of public land and public
resources in this country.
This is not a controversial program. It protects public land for
future use. There is no more an American goal than that, but it is held
up by a leadership team that would rather do nothing.
Past Congresses have reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation
Fund with support from both parties. It shouldn't be any different this
time. The support is there.
On April 15, as the chart illustrates, a bill to permanently
reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund was introduced. To
date, the bill boasts support from over 165 Members of Congress, both
Republican and Democrats.
I have made a request--as the sequence of time that we have been
waiting--asking for a full hearing, a markup, and an eventual vote on
this floor.
We asked for a hearing on H.R. 1814. I made a request to hold a vote
on H.R. 1814. These requests have fallen on deaf ears.
The clock is running out. House Republican leaders must act. It won't
take much to get the Land and Water Conservation Fund back on track,
but they have to say yes to moving forward and to doing a bipartisan
legislation, which is what the colleagues of this Chamber are asking
for. It is time for action.
We are calling, in a bipartisan way, on our colleagues to permanently
reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To not do so is not
carrying out our full responsibilities as stewards of the public lands,
but also, more importantly, when you have before you a request by over
165 Members on a bipartisan manner on a bill that has compromises
within it that were reached at the Senate level as well, it appears to
me that not to do this fund is to set up this fund for failure, to set
up this fund for dismantling, and to set up this fund to redirect the
purpose for which this fund was created 50 years ago.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms.
Tsongas), the ranking member for the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
{time} 1945
Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member
Grijalva for his leadership and advocacy on behalf of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund.
We have a generational responsibility to protect our Nation's
remaining natural and historic resources for our children and our
grandchildren. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been an
instrumental tool, an invaluable tool in this effort.
For over 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has carried
out a simple, bipartisan idea: use revenues from the depletion of one
Federal resource--offshore oil and gas--to conserve another--our land
and water--and provide recreation opportunities for all Americans. It
does not cost taxpayer money or contribute to the Federal deficit,
relying instead on royalties paid by oil and gas companies in exchange
for their right to develop offshore resources in waters that belong to
all of the American people.
LWCF has also proven to be a critical tool to protect some of our
Nation's most significant cultural and historic sites, protecting
places that have shaped and defined who we are as a people and a
country and would not have been protected without support from the
Federal Government.
This past weekend, I was honored to host Secretary of the Interior
Sally Jewell at my annual River Day, an event I have held in my
district for the past 9 years that celebrates the rivers that connect
the Third Congressional District of Massachusetts and the many partners
who work to protect these resources that provide clean drinking water,
create tremendous recreational opportunities, and bring natural beauty
to our daily life.
As part of River Day, Secretary Jewell and I visited Minute Man
National Historical Park, which commemorates the famous shot heard
'round the world in the very beginnings of our country. Like many
national parks and public lands across the country, Minute Man, and all
those who visit, have directly benefited from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund.
Barrett's Farm is the former home of Colonel James Barrett, the
commander of the Middlesex militia during the Revolutionary War. His
farm was used to store colonial militia weapons and was the objective
of the British march on Concord that inspired Paul Revere's ride.
British forces marched from Boston to seize the munitions stored at the
farm, but Barrett's militia confronted the British soldiers at the
North Bridge, where the shot heard 'round the world was fired,
launching America's war for independence.
For many years, this important historic site, Barrett's Farm, was
privately owned, restricted from the public, and was in a complete
state of disrepair. Thanks to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the
National Park Service was able to purchase Barrett's Farm from a
willing, private local foundation, ensuring that this nationally
significant historical site is preserved to be enjoyed by visitors for
many years to come.
Fifty years ago, our predecessors in this Congress had the wisdom and
foresight to establish the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the
benefit of future generations of Americans. Dismantling this program or
letting its authorization expire disadvantages all in real and
significant ways. I can't imagine the loss of the important piece of
history of Barrett's Farm that the LWCF made possible to preserve.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting full funding and
permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
making sure that it remains one of our Nation's most successful and
effective conservation tools.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California's
47th District (Mr. Lowenthal), the ranking member of the Subcommittee
on Energy and Mineral Resources.
Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Grijalva for
calling us together for this Special Order hour to highlight the need
for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and for his leadership in
seeking a permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation
Fund.
As has been pointed out, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is far
and away our Nation's most important conservation program. The LWCF is
a popular and successful bipartisan program for the conservation and
protection of America's irreplaceable natural, historic, cultural, and
outdoor landmarks.
Over its 50-year history, the fund has conserved more than 5 million
acres for parks, for recreation, for forests, for refuges, and for
other land through the Federal program, but that is just part of the
LWCF. Also, more than 2.6 million acres has been saved in communities
throughout every State in the Nation.
It has conserved iconic landscapes in every State. It is responsible
for more than 40,000 State and local outdoor recreational projects at
no cost, as has been pointed out, to the American taxpayer. In fact,
according to a recent economic analysis, every dollar invested in the
conservation of public lands through the LWCF leads to $4 in economic
activities to local communities.
Our Nation's conserved public lands are the essential infrastructure
for a
[[Page H6009]]
vibrant outdoor recreational economy that contributes over $646 billion
to the economy each year and supports more than 1 in every 15 jobs in
the United States.
That economic activity and job creation plays out locally all over
the country, not only in the broad service and manufacturing sectors,
but in the thousands upon thousands of recreational destination areas
and the gateway communities where we all go to enjoy the outdoors. My
home State of California has received more than $2.3 billion in LWCF
funding over the past five decades, which has helped to protect some of
our State's most treasured places.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund also plays a crucial role in
building up the ability of our lands to reduce the damages caused by
climate change. Our network of public lands plays a critical role in
addressing the challenges that climate change poses to our forests,
fish and wildlife, and riparian resources. America's forests naturally
capture a remarkable 13 percent of U.S. carbon emissions each year, but
the U.S. Forest Service projects that private forests, storing more
than 2 billion tons of carbon, are at risk of development in addition.
Coastal wetlands, we also know, can lessen the damages caused by major
storms, and land conservation in the wildland-urban interface can
reduce home losses from major fires.
Continued investment in the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be
essential to help us buffer the impacts of a changing climate. If
funding is allowed to expire, the American public will lose one of our
greatest tools to ensure the protection of our public lands and waters
and the ability of everyone to go outside and to enjoy these wonderful
resources. We simply cannot let that happen.
Congress must honor the bipartisan commitment it made over 50 years
ago and ensure that our children and our grandchildren get to enjoy
America's treasured outdoor spaces the same way we have been able to
enjoy those spaces. We must permanently reauthorize the LWCF.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California's
Second District (Mr. Huffman), the ranking member on the Water, Power,
and Oceans Subcommittee of the Committee on Natural Resources.
Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, for more than 50 years, the Land and Water
Conservation Fund has protected America's natural heritage. This fund
is one of our Nation's most important conservation tools. Every single
year, millions of Americans hike the trails that this fund has helped
build, they visit the national parks that this fund helped create, and
they enjoy the wildland vistas that it helped protect.
This fund has supported more than 40,000 projects in nearly every
county in every State in our Nation. In my own district on California's
north coast, it has funded projects in Redwood National Park, in Six
Rivers National Forest, and in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
Since 2004, it has helped add more than 1,000 acres to the King Range
National Conservation Area, which is one of the most rugged and
spectacular backpacking areas you will find anywhere in the continental
United States. It is also known as the Lost Coast.
The positive impact that this fund has had is simply staggering. The
Land and Water Conservation Fund has permanently protected 5 million
acres of public lands, and that includes sections of American icons,
like the Grand Canyon National Park and the Appalachian Trail. Best of
all, it has done all of this at no taxpayer expense. The Land and Water
Conservation Fund is financed by a portion of offshore drilling fees.
Congress needs to remember that preserving our natural heritage isn't
just good for our environment; it is good for our economy. Outdoor
recreation is a cornerstone for many local and State economies,
bringing tourists from around the world to shop at local businesses, to
eat at restaurants, to stay at hotels.
In California alone, outdoor recreation supports $85.4 billion in
consumer spending and 732,000 jobs across the State; but in just 2
weeks, authorization of this fund will expire, leaving local economies
in jeopardy, leaving our land managers struggling to make up for lost
funding.
Fifty years ago, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation
Fund with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. I hope Congress can come
together now to support H.R. 1814, a bipartisan bill sponsored by my
friend Mr. Grijalva, that permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. America's natural heritage and our economy depend on
it.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from
Washington's First District (Ms. DelBene).
Ms. DelBENE. Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of representing one of the
most beautiful and diverse districts in the country. It includes the
Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,
the North Cascades National Park, and the North Creek Forest, all
incredible areas for people throughout our region and across the
country to enjoy.
Unfortunately, in just 14 days, the congressional authorization for
the Land and Water Conservation Fund will expire. LWCF was established
50 years ago to maintain outdoor recreational opportunities nationwide.
It is the only Federal program dedicated to the conservation of our
national parks, forests, wildernesses, wildlife refuges, State and
local parks, and working forests.
Since its inception, the fund has invested $637 million in Washington
State projects alone, including three grants for the North Creek
Forest, a 64-acre park I visited just last month. A community
organization called Friends of North Creek Forest and a college student
named Jordan from the University of Washington at Bothell gave me a
tour of the forest.
For his senior thesis, Jordan has worked with the community and
conservation volunteers to clean up the site and design new trails for
hikers and hundreds of schoolchildren to enjoy. This forest is a safe
and healthy place for our families and students to have fun and learn
about species diversity and the importance of conservation efforts.
This is just one project among thousands across the country.
Without a new authorization for this critical program, environmental
conservation projects and Washington's outdoor recreational industry
would be needlessly harmed because not only is the Land and Water
Conservation Fund crucial for protecting the Pacific Northwest's
beautiful spaces, it is also important for our State's economy as well
as the entire country's. In Washington State alone, outdoor recreation
supports nearly 200,000 jobs and contributes $20 billion a year to our
economy.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund uses no taxpayer dollars and is
funded through oil and gas receipts paid by energy companies.
Unfortunately, in the past, Congress has diverted this money for other
uses. That is why I, along with 159 of my colleagues, have cosponsored
a bill to permanently reauthorize the fund.
My beautiful State boasts some of our Nation's most beautiful
forests, mountains, and waterways, and taking care of these natural
resources and protecting our environment is critical to preserving the
quality of life that we cherish.
{time} 2000
We can't risk defunding the great work of these environmental
conservation projects, which is why Congress must reauthorize the Land
and Water Conservation Fund.
I want to thank Congressman Grijalva for organizing this Special
Order hour on such a critical issue.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, after September 30, the authorization for
the Land and Water Conservation Fund expires. That date is a looming
date for the Republican leadership of this House.
With it comes the talk and potential of a government shutdown. Other
critical programs that face reauthorization are also ending on
September 30.
Part of the issue of leadership is to allow the House to work its
will. Until this House has the opportunity to deal with this issue of
the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we will continue to not know its
status and we will watch the agonizingly slow and painful dismantling
and end of this program.
The reauthorization has, in its history, been bipartisan and
bicameral.
[[Page H6010]]
This legislation enjoys bipartisan and bicameral support.
Both Republican and Democratic colleagues are part of the 165
sponsors of the legislation in the House. The compromise in that
committee was between the ranking member and the chair of that
committee in the Senate.
So I think it behooves us to look at this fund, for every day past
the 30th of September $2.5 million will be lost to that fund, money
that we cannot afford to lose.
Mr. Speaker, to wait for the ashes of the Land and Water Conservation
Fund after the 30th and then to develop it without bipartisan input,
without the Democrats playing any role at all in legislation that
redefines the Fund and that includes purposes for which the Fund was
never established and redirect its funds into areas which are far from
the mission of the Fund when it was established 50 years ago, is
effectively killing the Fund.
The cuts in our Federal land agencies and land management agencies
that have endured in the last four or five budgets point to the fact
that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has become an essential
supplemental support to many of our public lands and the projects and
outdoor activities and wildlife protections that the American people
expect.
I suggest to the House that this reauthorization should be devoid of
controversy and should be devoid of partisan bickering and political
grandstanding. This is a routine item that requires action by the
House.
Mr. Speaker, before the time runs out, fully funding and fully
authorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund on a permanent basis
is what the public is asking for and is what 165 Members of this House
are asking for.
I believe that the Republican leadership of this House has to act and
allow the House of Representatives, the elected Representatives of the
people of this Nation, to work its will and take that vote.
My colleagues have mentioned the economic benefit and priorities of
the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Let me just add that a bipartisan
poll found that 88 percent of the voters support continuing to set
aside offshore oil and gas drilling fees that should go into the Land
and Water Conservation Fund and 85 percent of Americans want the fund
to be fully funded.
For every dollar that is spent on Land and Water Conservation Funds
and that is invested, it results in a return of $4 in economic value
from the natural resources goods and services alone.
I think it is worth noting that $900 million comes from those
offshore oil and gas resources and $17 billion that is collected from
those fees and resources that are collected from offshore drilling and
gas and oil development goes for other purposes elsewhere in the
government.
So we are talking essentially about a very small sum of money that
many of us felt should have been raised a long time ago. We are
jeopardizing this sum of money.
In jeopardizing this sum of money, we are further dismantling and
further hurting the public's use of our public lands and, more
importantly, the protections and cultural resource activities that
occur as a result of the fund.
It is a simple matter. Bring it to a hearing. Bring it to a vote. I
would urge the leadership of this House that it is way past time. To
agonizingly wait for September 30 is not a function of government. It
is cynical. It is wrong.
When you have a bill before you that enjoys the bipartisan support
that H.R. 1814 enjoys, it is time to bring it to the floor and allow
this Congress to vote and allow this bill to be reauthorized on a
permanent level, on a permanent basis.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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