BABBITT URGES PROTECTION OF OPEN SPACE IN GEORGIA

ATLANTA - Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, in a visit today to the Chattahoochee River, advocated creation of a permanent fund so government can protect important open spaces from development. Georgia would receive almost $10.3 million a year from the Land and Water Conservation Fund(LWCF) if it is fully funded.

"Atlanta is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and protecting open space in the region, and the rest of the state of Georgia, would likely be a very high priority of the President's Lands Legacy initiative, if it is approved by Congress," said Babbitt. "If there is one thing Congress can do to help stop the negative effects of urban sprawl such as over development, air and water pollution, it is to approve the President's Lands Legacy plan for protecting open space."

The Lands Legacy program, announced last January, would provide almost $1 billion in federal money to protect a variety of sites, historic spaces, and open lands across the nation. At the same time, the President said he would work with Congress to enact annual full funding of the LWCF. The fund, created in 1965, includes money from the sale of federal offshore oil and gas leases.

Babbitt's comments came as he visited the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area with Gov. Roy Barnes, who has advocated protecting more open space along the river.

Georgia has received $66.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund since 1965. Among the areas protected in Georgia with LWCF money are the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve, Arabia Mountain nature preserve, Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and the Sweet Water Creek State Park.

Babbitt said since 1980, Georgia has received very little from the LWCF because Congress has not released funds as promised.

"The promise of the Land and Water Conservation Fund has never been fully kept," said Babbitt. "It was set up to provide almost $1 billion a year through direct federal purchase and through grants to states that could then be used to protect land and open space. But rather than have these funds flow automatically, Congress has required that it appropriate the money every year. Unfortunately, Congress has usually approved less than one-third of the money available."

"Congress has broken its promise to the American people. That promise in 1965 was that the money from using offshore lands for oil and gas would go to purchase recreational, scenic and environmentally sensitive land for future generations. But it has never happened on a regular basis."

Babbitt said that in addition to land along the Chattahoochee, there are a variety of open space parcels and recreation needs which Georgia could protect with its share of LWCF money, such as protection of the Pickett's Mill Historic site near Atlanta, creation of a state Civil War history trail, or protecting open space on Pine Log Mountain.

The President's budget also contains $700 million for Better America Bonds, which are tax credits that communities can use to preserve green space, create or restore urban parks and clean up abandoned industrial sites. Other quality of life initiatives in the President's budget include Community Transportation Choices, programs to provide flexible support to help communities create regional transportation strategies and encourage broader use of alternative transportation.

"Americans care deeply about their local great places. Voters approved more than 250 ballot initiatives last November designed to curb sprawl and congestion by protecting open spaces. It is about time that Congress lives up to the promise it made to provide Americans with funds to protect their quality of life and the vital natural resources in their communities," said Babbitt.

-DOI-

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