As our Nation continues to fight wars around the globe and the Republican controlled Congress rubber stamps tax cuts that deplete the Treasury, the United States is in an unenviable financial predicament that four years ago we could not have fathomed. However, shortchanging that which is American - our natural resources and heritage - is a sacrifice we cannot make for the sake of our proud national history and for future generations, charged U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV).
"I am anxious to see just where this Administration intends to make cuts in its budget proposal - - due to Congress on Monday - - and will reserve my right to judge their funding request on a ‘scale of stewardship’. I sincerely hope this Administration will not continue down its path of talking the talk, but not walking the walk when it comes to protecting our natural resources heritage," said Rahall, the Ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Resources.
Rahall will use a "stewardship scale" to compare how the funding request measures against fully funding these conservation programs, with one end labeled "stewards" and the other labeled "scrooges".
"Congress set a funding limit for programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund and endangered species habitat designation for a reason - those dollar amounts are what the programs need to be most effective. It does not make sense to me to address any reform of our resources conservation programs without first asking, are we providing the appropriate funding to these agencies to do their job?" reasoned Rahall.
In the Rose Garden on April 18, 2002, President Bush stated, "Good stewardship means understanding the consequences of our actions, and convincing others to not needlessly destroy our environment. A good steward also understands that we share the Earth with other creatures, and we have a responsibility to provide them places to live and roam."
To fully fund efforts to recover those creatures that are endangered or threatened, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) needs $67.9 million dollars, or these species may be in imminent danger of extinction. Many of the complaints about the Endangered Species Act stem from the lengthy process of consultation that developers, government agencies and private individuals have to go through for project approval if they may be adversely affecting an endangered or threatened specie. To address the problem, the USFWS needs another $57 million.
"Congress must keep in the forefront of its conscience the need to fund the law to ensure the recovery of God’s creatures. I believe this is our moral obligation, and we must be careful to not stray from our responsibility to be good stewards of this gift and I hope the Administration’s budget request reflects this sentiment as well," stated Rahall.
"Our duty is to use the land well, and sometimes, not to use it at all. This is our responsibility as citizens; but, more than that, it is our calling as stewards of the Earth. Good stewardship of the environment is not just a personal responsibility, it is a public value. Americans are united in the belief that we must preserve our natural heritage and safeguard the land around us." President George W. Bush, May 30, 2001 at Sequoia National Park, California
On Monday, Rahall will be measuring this Administration’s commitment to protecting our open spaces and national parks by comparing the budget requests for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the National Parks maintenance backlog to dollar amounts set forth by statute or the needs of the agencies.
The LWCF requires $900 million for its two authorized programs, federal land acquisition and grants to states to protect open spaces. The maintenenance backlog in our national parks, which President Bush pledged to commit $5 billion to over the course of five years beginning in 2000, will require $1.814 billion in this year’s budget request to fulfill that promise.
"To say we have to allow National Parks to rot, historic structures to collapse, and Civil War battlefields to become strip malls due to national security needs is rubbish. We are fighting to keep this country safe and to protect our country’s ideals. And these majestic lands are a symbol of those ideals and our freedom," declared Rahall.
When the Bush Administration responded to the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy’s (USCOP) report, it stated: "Taken in its entirety, this response engenders responsible use and stewardship of ocean and coastal resources for the benefit of all Americans."
"The USCOP report provided this Administration and the Congress with concrete programs and dollar figures to be dedicated to saving our oceans, yet the Administration’s response isn’t worth its sea salt," said Rahall.
Rahall is referring to the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, a mandated response given by the Bush Administration to the USCOP report, which outlines meager, nonexistent, or repackaged funding levels for a host of necessary programs.
"As outlined in its Action Plan, the Bush Administration’s vision for the oceans lacks depth. I will be looking closely at how heavily they will invest in this vital resource to numerous industries in this country when their budget request surfaces next week," stated Rahall.
Other programs to watch out for:
- Healthy Forests Initiative: Fire Prevention and Community Protection must be funded at $795 million.
- Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT): The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the full funding level for Fiscal Year 2006 would be $304 million.
![[New for the Democrats - Committee on Resources - U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, Ranking Democrat - 1329 Longworth HOB - Washington, DC 20015]](news_banner.gif)
