• NEW INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON CARA
• UPCOMING TEAMING WITH WILDLIFE EVENT
• IN THANKS

NEW INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON CARA
We have a new information sheet on H.R. 701 that will soon be posted on our web site, www.nwf.org/naturefunding. You can contact me at mailto:%20applegate@nwf.org, if you would like to receive a clean copy of this sheet by e-mail, fax, or regular mail.

UPCOMING TEAMING WITH WILDLIFE EVENT
The Teaming with Wildlife Steering Committee is in the early stages of planning an event to inform Congress about the critical need for wildlife conservation funding. The event is scheduled tentatively for the end of February or the beginning of March. We'll keep you posted as we more fully develop the plans. We hope that you will be able to join us at this event to show support for this historic funding opportunity.

IN THANKS
Below is the letter sent to all of those who signed on to our broad support letter. Thanks to all who participated in this grand statement!

Giving Back to Nature:
Funding for Wildlife and Wild Places

December 2, 1999

Dear Friend:

Thank you for joining the 865 businesses, organizations and agencies that signed on to the conservation community's group letter to Congress in support of permanent conservation funding legislation. This group letter made it clear to all members of Congress that there is widespread support for conservation funding. It was delivered in mid-November to every member of the House and Senate as well as the White House to tell them that the time has come to give back to nature. Thanks to you, we can start the New Year with a great deal of momentum for this critical initiative.

As you know, Congress has been moving forward on various legislative proposals that would reinvest offshore oil and gas leasing revenue into programs that benefit our nation's natural and cultural resources. Key members in the House worked for nearly four months to merge the two primary bills, Rep. Don Young's H.R. 701 (The Conservation and Reinvestment Act or CARA) and Rep. George Miller's H.R. 798 (Permanent Protection for America's Resources 2000).

The House moved one step closer to enactment of an historic conservation funding bill this fall. By a vote of 37 to 12, the compromise version of H.R. 701, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) was passed out of the Resources Committee on November 10th. The revised bill promises nearly $3 billion annually until 2015 for coastal conservation, open space protection, fish and wildlife conservation, urban park renewal, and other conservation and historic preservation goals. While the bill is an improvement over current law, unmet goals and concerns remain in the bill that must be addressed before this bill will garner the widespread support it needs to become law.

In addition to the House Resources Committee's approval of CARA, Congress provided $651 million in the FY 2000 budget for President Clinton's Land Legacy Initiative. The Lands Legacy Initiative was a one year budget request to revitalize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This year's budget includes increased funding for federal land acquisition, urban parks, farmland protection, and (for the first time in five years) for the state component of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Administration remains aware of the need and will be active in the effort to make conservation funding permanent.

Next Steps

Congress is now in recess until late January, but more work must be done before conservation funding legislation becomes law. The bill must be approved by the full House of Representatives and is likely to be taken up in the Spring of 2000. Senator Frank Murkowski (R- AK), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has not yet reported a bill out of his Committee. As legislation moves through both Houses of Congress, there will be opportunities to improve it as well as attempts to weaken or kill the bills. I hope that you and your organization are committed to continue working with us and others to secure passage of a strong, environmentally sound permanent conservation funding bill.

Here are a few things that you can do in your state to help in this effort:

Request a meeting with your Congressional members in their home offices during the next few weeks, while Congress is on recess, to discuss the importance of this legislation. Tell them to pass an environmentally sound conservation funding bill next year.

Set up editorial board visits with state and local newspapers to publicize this issue. Arrange to do the meeting with several individuals representing various interests that support conservation programs. Use the attached sign-on letter as a guide for which groups are active in your state. Let the boards know that permanent conservation funding legislation is likely to be an active issue in Congress next year. Tell them that it is critical to raise public support for this issue in order to secure passage.

If your member is on the House Resources Committee and voted for this legislation (see www.nwf.org/naturefunding/updates/update11111999cara.html for the vote list), send him or her a letter thanking them for their vote. Send a similar letter to the editor of your local paper so that your Representative can be thanked publicly for their support of conservation. Contact us if you need samples to work from.

In short, keep the pressure on! We couldn't have gotten as far as we have without significant grassroots action. Now that H.R. 701 is moving forward, we must broaden support for conservation funding in every state. NWF staff will keep you updated by e-mail (if you provided us with one) as the legislation moves through Congress. Or, you can find additional information at: www.nwf.org/naturefunding. If you have any questions or need any help on this issue, please feel free to contact me at 202-797-6840; mailto:%20applegate@nwf.org.

Again, on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation, thank you for your hard work.

Sincerely,

Jodi Applegate
Project Manager