Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Drought, wildfires among Western issues facing Congress

Land and Water Conservation Fund
Status: Authorization for the fund, created 50 years ago, expires at the end of the month. The fund has been the primary source of money for acquiring land by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Almost $17 billion has been spent during the half century, with $10.4 billion used to buy 5 million acres of land, mostly in the West. The fund also has provided grants for more than 41,000 state and local park projects. Revenue comes from royalties from offshore gas and oil drilling. Opponents argue the federal government should not be buying more land when it can’t take care of the land it already has. They want the fund to focus on upkeep. What’s happening in Congress: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved an energy bill that includes permanent reauthorization of the fund in its current form. That vote was made more significant by the fact that Murkowski, the committee chairwoman, had favored revising the fund to focus on maintenance. The House has yet to hold a hearing on a similar bill. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and has 142 co-sponsors, mostly Democrats. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has said he would unveil his proposal for reforming the LWCF when Congress returns. Advocates say it is too late for a stand-alone bill to pass before the fund expires. They are hoping to attach the language to a must-pass bill, such as one to fund the government into the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1...more

The article provides similar information on wildfires, drought and the sage grouse.

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