Tha Wookie
04-20-2006, 08:49
The following message was emailed to me by the American Hiking Society, I thought you might want to see it -TW
HELP PREVENT SEVERE BUDGET CUTS TO TRAILS
The House and Senate are considering budget and appropriations bills that will fund trail, recreation, and conservation programs during the next fiscal year. If you have not yet contacted your Senators and Representative, please click here to urge Congress to support trails (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html)!
Many trail and recreation programs face deep cuts in next year’s budget. The Administration’s proposed budget includes sharp decreases for trail-related programs in the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For example:
<LI class=MsoNormal>$15 million cut to Forest Service Capital Improvement and Maintenance for trails and $14.3 million cut to Recreation, Wilderness and Heritage programs; <LI class=MsoNormal>$5 million cut from the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System operating budget and $1.4 million cut to Recreation and Wilderness management; <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: black">$100 million cut to the National Park Service (NPS) and termination of the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund program, an important source of funding for close-to-home parks and recreation. <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: black">$500,000 cut to the NPS’ Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program;
$30 million cut for the federal side of the Land and Water Conservation Fund which funds land acquisition for parks, trails, forests, and other public lands.
In addition, the Administration proposes to raise $800 million to help fund rural roads and schools by selling off national forest and other public lands, a proposal American Hiking and countless groups strongly oppose (see below for more information).
We need your help to urge Congress to support trail and recreation funding that will ensure natural, safe, and enjoyable hiking experiences for generations to come.
TAKE ACTION:
Here are two steps you can take TODAY to help fund your trails:
1) Visit http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html) to send a letter to Congress in support of trail funding.
2) Urge your Representative to sign the “Dear Colleague” letter authored by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) in support of trail and recreation funding. To view the letter, go to: http://www.americanhiking.org/pdfs/TrailsDearColleague.pdf (http://www.americanhiking.org/pdfs/TrailsDearColleague.pdf). The Dear Colleague invites other Representatives to show their support for trails in a letter to Rep. Taylor (R-NC) and Rep. Dicks (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
For more information, visit:
http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/current/funding.html (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/current/funding.html) and
http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/pdfs/RTCAFY07.pdf (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/pdfs/RTCAFY07.pdf).
Thank you for any efforts to help prevent these massive cuts.
HELP PREVENT SEVERE BUDGET CUTS TO TRAILS
The House and Senate are considering budget and appropriations bills that will fund trail, recreation, and conservation programs during the next fiscal year. If you have not yet contacted your Senators and Representative, please click here to urge Congress to support trails (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html)!
Many trail and recreation programs face deep cuts in next year’s budget. The Administration’s proposed budget includes sharp decreases for trail-related programs in the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For example:
<LI class=MsoNormal>$15 million cut to Forest Service Capital Improvement and Maintenance for trails and $14.3 million cut to Recreation, Wilderness and Heritage programs; <LI class=MsoNormal>$5 million cut from the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System operating budget and $1.4 million cut to Recreation and Wilderness management; <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: black">$100 million cut to the National Park Service (NPS) and termination of the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund program, an important source of funding for close-to-home parks and recreation. <LI class=MsoNormal style="COLOR: black">$500,000 cut to the NPS’ Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program;
$30 million cut for the federal side of the Land and Water Conservation Fund which funds land acquisition for parks, trails, forests, and other public lands.
In addition, the Administration proposes to raise $800 million to help fund rural roads and schools by selling off national forest and other public lands, a proposal American Hiking and countless groups strongly oppose (see below for more information).
We need your help to urge Congress to support trail and recreation funding that will ensure natural, safe, and enjoyable hiking experiences for generations to come.
TAKE ACTION:
Here are two steps you can take TODAY to help fund your trails:
1) Visit http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html) to send a letter to Congress in support of trail funding.
2) Urge your Representative to sign the “Dear Colleague” letter authored by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) in support of trail and recreation funding. To view the letter, go to: http://www.americanhiking.org/pdfs/TrailsDearColleague.pdf (http://www.americanhiking.org/pdfs/TrailsDearColleague.pdf). The Dear Colleague invites other Representatives to show their support for trails in a letter to Rep. Taylor (R-NC) and Rep. Dicks (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
For more information, visit:
http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/current/funding.html (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/current/funding.html) and
http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/pdfs/RTCAFY07.pdf (http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/pdfs/RTCAFY07.pdf).
Thank you for any efforts to help prevent these massive cuts.