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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.

Alligator
04-20-2006, 09:28
Isn't the Land and Water Conservation fund supposed to be funded out of mineral and/or oil receipts? Anybody know?

generoll
04-20-2006, 11:40
I'm not sure but what we might achieve more by joining our local trail organization and volunteering some time for trail maintenance and construction. I'm deeply pessimistic about anything our government gets involved in.

Sly
04-20-2006, 17:11
Isn't the Land and Water Conservation fund supposed to be funded out of mineral and/or oil receipts? Anybody know?

I think the money comes from federal offshore oil lease revenues. If $30 million is going to be cut, what happened to the program, where's the money going or aren't the oil companies being charged?

Hmmm.. one has to wonder about Cheney's secret energy policy. :-?

MOWGLI
04-20-2006, 17:39
I think the money comes from federal offshore oil lease revenues.

That is correct.

Cookerhiker
04-20-2006, 19:49
As I understand it, money for that fund does come from oil & minerals leases and is supposed to be used for conservation. However, it's still subject to the annual appropriations process so the Administration and Congress can choose to ignore it. Instead, the funds are "loaned" to the general funds to help finance the deficits.

LostInSpace
04-20-2006, 20:18
Perhaps this should be a poll to see how many on WB care enough to write. If the response is consistent with the national voting response, then it will be pretty low.

MOWGLI
04-20-2006, 20:37
Perhaps this should be a poll to see how many on WB care enough to write. If the response is consistent with the national voting response, then it will be pretty low.


People care - but often after it's too late. Advocating on behalf of trail funding is not "sexy". But that doesn't mean it isn't important. Without federal funding, we would not have the AT to hike, nor would we have a protected corridor.

It only takes a few minutes to call your Congressman or send out an email. Snail mail is no longer effective since the Anthrax scare. So please, if you care about trails and the places they pass through, let your voice be heard!

Thanks for taking 5 minutes out of your day to make a difference.

Tha Wookie
04-20-2006, 20:44
Perhaps this should be a poll to see how many on WB care enough to write. If the response is consistent with the national voting response, then it will be pretty low.

OK, what are some ideas for poll questions?

To start, have you taken action?

LostInSpace
04-20-2006, 21:51
I did not mean to imply that people don’t care. They usually seem disinclined to advocate for what they care about either through letters to their Congressional representatives or through voting.

I e-mailed my Senators and Representative as soon as I read the post. It took about three minutes, as I already knew who they were. I regularly write them about environmental issues, such as those concerning the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Surprisingly, the person from whom I have gotten the most, and best, responses is not the Representative for my district and is a member of the “other” party.

I’m curious about who of the three will reply to me.