H.R. 701 Create A Conservation Legacy The National Wildlife Federation urges you to join us in supporting H.R. 701 and promoting passage of an historic conservation law. Efforts to protect and restore our nation's natural and cultural treasures have always been hindered by limited funding. Every year, open spaces and wild lands are developed because funds were unavailable to purchase conservation easements or acquire the lands so they could be added to our system of parks and other protected areas. Similarly, each year underfunded wildlife programs stand by, unable to be pro-active, while the populations of once-abundant species decline. At long last, Congress is considering landmark legislation that would establish an automatic, reliable source of funding to address these and other vital conservation needs. H.R. 701, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), is an historic conservation proposal that would, for the first time, automatically set aside revenues from oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to provide desperately needed funding for an assortment of vital conservation programs. H.R. 701 provides approximately $2.4 billion annually and automatically until 2015 for: coastal conservation, stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), state wildlife agencies, urban parks (UPARR), historic preservation, federal and tribal land restoration, conservation easements, endangered species, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes fund (PILT), and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). Additionally, it authorizes Congress to allocate up to $450 million annually for federal land acquisition under LWCF. NWF's Position on H.R. 701 The National Wildlife Federation supports H.R. 701 and urges Members of Congress to cosponsor this important conservation bill. This bill represents the best opportunity to achieve significant and permanent conservation funding in this Congress. Like most legislation, this bill could be strengthened, and NWF will be actively working to make the improvements noted below. Where would the money go? The above chart illustrates the proposed distribution of $2,825 billion of annual OCS revenue. the remaining OCS revenue will go into the Federal Treasury to meet budget obligations unrelated to conservation. (Find out how much money each state would receive if H.R. 701 become law.) Wildlife: $350 million to state fish and wildlife agencies for wildlife conservation, recreation and education projects.* Land & Water State Conservation Fund: State-side LWCF - $450 million. Federal-side LWCF - $450 million. Note: LWCF funds are automatically appropriated; however, every federal land acquisition project must be approved by Congress. Coastal Conservation and OCS Impact Assistance: $1 billion to 35 coastal states and territories, including Great Lakes states, for coastal/marine conservation efforts; states that have OCS development will also receive "impact assistance" funding to mitigate the harmful impacts of drilling activities. Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR): $125 million to assist local governments in developing urban park and recreation systems. Historic Preservation Fund: $100 million to support the protection of historic properties and to manage national heritage areas and national heritage corridors. Federal/Indian Lands Restoration: $200 million for federal and Indian lands restoration, including maintenance activities. Conservation Easements and and Endangered Species: $100 million for conservation easements, and $50 million for incentive programs to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species. * Interest generated from the Wildlife title will be used to fund the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). The interest generated from the remaining funds will be used to support the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. A Sound, Affordable Investment The federal government collects billions of dollars annually from private companies that pay for the opportunity to extract oil and gas from offshore reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). H.R. 701 uses a portion of these federal revenues for local, state, and federal conservation programs. The logic behind H.R. 701's financing is simple and sensible – revenues derived from the exploitation of the nation's non-renewable oil and gas resources should be reinvested in the protection and restoration of renewable natural resources such as our wildlife, public lands, and coasts. H.R. 701 will not require any new taxes; it simply relies upon a portion of the nearly $4.5 billion that the federal government already receives annually (on average) from private OCS leases. Benefits of CARA: The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 701) provides a tremendous infusion of reliable funding to new and existing conservation programs. Providing approximately $2.8 billion annually at the local, state, and federal levels would contribute greatly to efforts being made to protect our valuable natural resources and improve the quality of life for future generations. This funding would help protect open space against sprawl and development; allow state fish and wildlife agencies to develop comprehensive wildlife conservation programs; provide increased outdoor recreation opportunities; protect and conserve sensitive coastal and marine ecosystems; and preserve important historical sites. H.R. 701 sets an important precedent for creating automatic, long-term funding for conservation purposes. Historically, conservation programs have struggled to receive adequate financial support in the annual Congressional appropriations process. This legislation would finally provide a reliable source of revenue for these important programs. Although H.R. 701 only provides this funding through 2015, it lays the groundwork for creating a truly permanent conservation funding source. H.R. 701 expands the concept that revenues derived from the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources should be reinvested in conservation programs beyond the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The idea of "giving back to nature" was the underlying principle of the original Land and Water Conservation Fund – but it was never fully realized. This legislation would fulfill the promise of LWCF and broaden the funding for other critical conservation needs. How CARA Should be Improved: The National Wildlife Federation supports H.R. 701 and strongly encourages Congress to move this historic proposal forward. There are several modifications, however, that would substantially improve the legislation and eliminate any potential environmental problems in its current form. Specifically, the National Wildlife Federation advocates the following improvements to H.R. 701: H.R. 701 should address the needs of nongame wildlife and provide guidelines for establishing state wildlife conservation strategies. The majority of the nation's wildlife species are nongame species (i.e. those that are neither hunted or fished, nor threatened or endangered), but typically these species receive nominal funding. CARA should ensure that state fish and wildlife agencies give greater emphasis to nongame wildlife when using these funds. In addition, the bill should provide guidelines for state conservation plans to establish a framework for pro-active conservation of all fish and wildlife species. H.R. 701 should ensure that coastal impact assistance funds be used primarily for marine and coastal conservation activities rather than potentially damaging infrastructure development. Currently, states and municipalities receiving coastal impact assistance funds under Title I of the legislation could use these dollars for roads, ports, levees and other infrastructure or public service needs. As a result, a substantial amount of a state's allocation could be expended on activities that have only a tangential link to conservation and may actually be environmentally harmful. H.R. 701 should be designed in a way that eliminates or reduces the link between increased offshore drilling and increased revenue to a state or municipality. The legislation bases a state or municipality's coastal impact assistance revenue on their proximity to OCS oil and gas leases. This creates the potential for a state or local government to support new OCS development in order to increase the amount of funds they would receive. H.R. 701 should be designed to ensure that federal LWCF dollars are not held up by the annual appropriations process. A primary reason for creating an automatic conservation fund is to separate it from the politics of the Congressional appropriations process – a process that has left it underfunded for years. Currently, H.R. 701 requires that each federal LWCF land acquisition must be approved by Congress before the funds can be expended. The Time for Conservation Funding is Now! A diverse and powerful array of interests including sportsmen, conservationists, historic preservationists, park and recreation enthusiasts, urban advocates, the faith community, businesses, state and local governments, and others, have joined together in support of conservation funding legislation. They recognize that reliable, substantial funding is necessary to ensure that we leave a rich conservation legacy for future generations. Fortunately, decision-makers from across the political spectrum are responding. President Clinton, nearly every governor, and a large, bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators have registered their support for permanent conservation funding legislation. But time is short. A new Administration and a changed Congressional climate in 2001 may hurt the chances that legislation will move after the 2000 elections. It is vital that conservation funding legislation pass this year.