TJ aka Teej
06-19-2004, 19:09
U.S. House En Route to Chilling Land Acquisition
The U.S. House of Representatives this week could take up — and probably pass — a bill approved Friday by the Appropriations Committee that would mean virtually no land acquisitions in the fiscal year beginning October 1 by the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service. Forty years ago, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to help protect — with $900 million a year — parks, trails, open spaces, wilderness, wetlands, and recreational areas; the A.T. has been one of its primary beneficiaries. The 2005 spending bill for the Interior Department and related agencies includes $50 million for emergencies and existing work. The bill does increase funds for Park Service operations by 4.7 percent ($77 million) above this year, but officials predict that will be more than offset by annual payroll increases and inflation. Supporters of restoring funds, including ATC leaders, are looking to the Senate Appropriations Committee to at least approve the $205 million more requested by the administration for those agencies. A group called Americans Saving American Places http://www.asap2004.org/ is trying to get 1 million signatures on a petition seeking full funding of the LWCF.
The U.S. House of Representatives this week could take up — and probably pass — a bill approved Friday by the Appropriations Committee that would mean virtually no land acquisitions in the fiscal year beginning October 1 by the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service. Forty years ago, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to help protect — with $900 million a year — parks, trails, open spaces, wilderness, wetlands, and recreational areas; the A.T. has been one of its primary beneficiaries. The 2005 spending bill for the Interior Department and related agencies includes $50 million for emergencies and existing work. The bill does increase funds for Park Service operations by 4.7 percent ($77 million) above this year, but officials predict that will be more than offset by annual payroll increases and inflation. Supporters of restoring funds, including ATC leaders, are looking to the Senate Appropriations Committee to at least approve the $205 million more requested by the administration for those agencies. A group called Americans Saving American Places http://www.asap2004.org/ is trying to get 1 million signatures on a petition seeking full funding of the LWCF.