NEWS
House
Appropriations Committee
Chairman C.W. Bill Young (R-FL)
Website address: www.house.gov/appropriations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Elizabeth Morra 225-2771 February 8, 1999 Connie Veillette 225-3876
CLINTON'S LANDS LEGACY SELLS NATIONAL PARKS SHORT
Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio), Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, today expressed great concern over President Clinton's priorities in his FY2000 budget plan. Specifically, he raised skepticism over the $1 billion Lands Legacy Initiative, which includes $747 million for new land purchases and resurrects two previously terminated programs. He also called the Administration's request for more than 1,600 new Interior Department employees unacceptable.
"The President's Lands Legacy Initiative flies in the face of my panel's number one priority for the past four years – focusing limited resources on addressing the critical backlog maintenance problems and operational shortfalls in the national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests and other public lands, which now exceed $12 billion," said Regula. "There is a direct effect on park visitors when campgrounds and national parks are forced to reduce their hours, restrooms are closed because 40-year-old water and sewer facilities are cited for OSHA violations, and interpreters and guides are not available to meet increased visitor needs. It is simply irresponsible to take on new land responsibilities and give grants to cities, states, and private institutions when we cannot afford to adequately take care of our primary Federal responsibilities – the public lands."
"While the President's budget includes a $300 million increase for the national parks, more than $220 million of the increase would not benefit the parks at all, but are grants to states, cities, and private institutions. This would not represent good management of scarce dollars."
The Lands Legacy initiative also resurrects the old State Land and Water Fund, which was terminated five years ago ($200 million is requested for 2000, compared with $20 million in 1994) and the $4 million Urban Park program, which has not been funded since 1994 when it was a $2 million program. Adoption of this proposed program would mean that the parks and other public lands would continue to suffer from operational shortfalls and serious backlog maintenance needs.
"At a time when most state and local budgets are balanced, why would we revive outdated state grant programs that we terminated in order to focus limited increases to the national parks? It makes no sense."
The President's budget included more than 1,600 new employees for the Department of Interior, a 2.4% increase in staffing. There are also large staffing increases in the Forest Service and the Indian Health Service.
"The request for more than a thousand new employees at the Interior Department is unrealistic," said the Chairman. "What happened to Vice President Gore's promise to scale back the size of the federal workforce through his Reinventing Government initiative? It is obvious from this budget request that the Era of Big Government is back with a vengeance."
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