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Conservation, Quality of Life Suffer in Fiscal Crisis

By Phil Young, secretary of REP's New Mexico Chapter, published July 16, 2011 in the Santa Fe New Mexican

In 1964, Congress made a visionary promise to the American people. The promise was this: A portion of royalties collected from offshore drilling in federal waters would be deposited into a Land and Water Conservation Fund to buy open space and pay for recreation projects that our nation needs.

In recent years, Congress has fallen short of keeping its promise, by raiding the Land and Water Conservation Fund to pay for other things. Another raid is in the works. An appropriations bill pending in the House would slash the Land and Water Conservation Fund to $62 million, which is 80 percent below last year's level and 95 percent below the authorized level of $900 million per year. The burden of righting the nation's fiscal imbalances should not fall disproportionately on conservation.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a popular program that works. It provides critical funding for open space and places to recreate that are available to all citizens. It "covers the bases" — a federal component that has enriched the American experience supporting national parks and wildlife refuges, and a state component that pays for parks and recreation projects that meet state and local priorities. Since the fund's inception, it has enjoyed wide bipartisan support through 10 administrations, Republican and Democrat. The fund has protected more than 7.6 million acres of land and paid for more than 40,000 parks, pools, ball fields and other recreation projects.

Sandstone Bluffs at El Malpais National Monument (NPS)

The fund has also supported conservation at many of New Mexico's iconic places — El Malpais National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historic Park, the Organ Mountains, and the Gila National Forest, to name but a few. Over the years, New Mexico has received $41 million for open space and recreation projects in all 33 counties.

New Mexico's great places and recreation facilities pay lasting dividends in health, quality of life, and local economic activity. Much more than a frill, protected open space is a proven economic driver, stimulating tourism and outdoor recreation that bring visitors, dollars and jobs to New Mexico communities. The fund ensures that we balance necessary use of our natural resources with investments in conservation and stewardship.

It does not burden the taxpayers because the revenue comes from offshore drilling royalties. Lands are acquired only from willing sellers, so there is no infringement on private property rights. Yet despite the fund's popularity and its measurable achievements, Congress continues raiding the fund, a lack of fiscal discipline comparable to a family dipping into the kids' college fund to go on a spending spree.

Congress can put matters right by keeping its promise and stop raiding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Our generation enjoys the fruits of our forebears' stewardship investments through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It is the right thing for us to do likewise for future generations.