THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND AND THE URBAN PARK AND
RECREATION RECOVERY PROGRAM
WHEREAS,
the Land and Water Conservation Fund is a visionary and
bipartisan program established by Congress in 1964 to create parks and open
spaces, protect wetlands and refuges, preserve wildlife habitat, promote
environmental stewardship, and enhance recreational opportunities for all
Americans; and
WHEREAS, the sister program of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the
Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program, was created to address the needs of
inner city recreation by providing matching grants and technical assistance for
the rehabilitation of recreational facilities to economically distressed urban
communities; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation fund should receive $900 million
dollars annually derived from royalties from Outer Continental Shelf oil and
gas leasing; and
WHEREAS, for the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program to have a
far reaching affect, it should be funded at $125 million annually; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund returns conservation and
recreation funds back to local communities and governments; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been responsible for
the acquisition and enhancement of more than 40,000 community parks in forty
years of existence; and
WHEREAS, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program has been
responsible for the rehabilitation of thousands of community centers, urban parks,
and community pools; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Park and
Recreation Recovery Program have been integral to a healthy and safe community
life through funding state and municipal parks, and creating neighborhood soccer,
baseball, and football fields; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund promotes smart growth and
livable communities; and
WHEREAS, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Park and
Recreation Recovery Program both help Americans become physically active
thereby contributing to a healthier lifestyle that can provide a better quality
of life for all Americans; and
WHEREAS, the need to preserve open spaces, develop national, state, and
local parks and recreational facilities, manage wildlife, and preserve
America’s historic treasures becomes more critical each year due to the demands
placed on such facilities by ever increasing populations; and
WHEREAS, the
Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery
Program are critical resources for providing direct access to recreational
places for Americas young people; and
WHEREAS, the
Land and Water Conservation Fund advances economic and job development in
cities; and
WHEREAS, the municipalities have been the recipients of thousands of Land
and Water Conservation Fund stateside grants that have added parks, wetlands,
and helped millions of Americans gain access to recreation areas; and
WHEREAS, municipalities have been recipients of Urban Park and Recreation
Recovery Program matching grants that have rehabilitated community centers,
pools, and helped to make urban parks safer places for kids to recreate; and
WHEREAS, the 2004 stateside appropriation for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund was $94 million and the Federal side appropriation was $177
million, which combined is more than two thirds below the full amount that it
was designated to receive annually; and
WHEREAS, the last two years, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery
Program has been zeroed out in the appropriations process and has left many
inner city communities without a designated resource to address their needs for
recreation.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Congress, in its annual appropriations
process, authorize 20% of Outer Continental Shelf revenues to fully fund the
Land and Water Conservation Fund at its authorized level of $900 million and
that they designate $125 million to the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery
Program to assist the recreation needs of economically distressed communities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
that authorizing legislation permanently funding the Land and Water
Conservation Fund and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Program represents
the most effective long-term solution to enhancing municipal recreation needs
and should be vigorously pursued by Congress.
©2004 U.S. Conference of Mayors 