February 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 32

ADVOCACY UPDATE continued from page 29

Appropriations
■ C hairman:

Harold
Rogers (R-KY)
■ R anking Member:
Norm Dicks (D-WA)
Subcommittee on Interior
Appropriations
■ C hairman: Mike
Simpson (R-ID)
■ R anking Member: (At time of
press Democratic members
were not yet named)

Education and Workforce
■ C hairman:

John Kline (R-MN)
Member:
George Miller (D-CA)

■ R anking

Financial Services
■ C hairman:

Spencer
Bachus (R-AL)
■ R anking Member:
Barney Frank (D-MA)

Natural Resources
■ C hairman:

Doc
Hastings (R-WA)
■ R anking Member: Ed
Markey (D-MA)
Subcommittee on
National Parks, Forests
and Public Lands
■ C hairman: Rob
Bishop (R-UT)
■ R anking Member: (At
time of press Democratic
members were not yet
named)

Transportation
■ C hairman:

John Mica
(R-FL)
■ R anking
Member:
Nick Rahall
(D-WV)

30 Parks & Recreation

FEBRUARY 2011

Congress to fund the programs, and
there is no cost to the government until
funds are appropriated.

Land and Water Conservation Fund
In the 111th Congress there was an effort
to obtain full and dedicated funding for
the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) at $900 million annually using a
comprehensive energy package as the
legislative vehicle. The 112th Congress
will take a different approach, focusing
on energy and environmental oversight
which would limit the regulatory authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior. With
Congress looking to limit rather than
expand government power, a comprehensive energy bill containing full and
dedicated funding for LWCF is unlikely.
When it comes to the annual appropriations process, funding for LWCF is
often an early target when conversations
turn to spending cuts. The FY12 budget
is no exception, as LWCF was inserted
into the discussion about cuts at a very
early stage in December when the bipartisan Federal Debt Commission,
convened by President Obama to recommend ways to decrease the national
debt, released their recommendations
which included eliminating funding for
LWCF. The commission cited the inability to care and maintain the park and recreation resources already in existence
as justification for eliminating funding.
At the time of this writing, conversations with Administration officials revealed that the President's FY12 Budget
(due to be released in February) is unlikely to zero out funding for LWCF;
however, the President's Budget provides only recommendations,
as Congress holds the power of
the purse. Congressional leaders are threatening to fund
programs at the FY08 level,
making advocacy by park and
recreation advocates vitally important to maintain funding for
LWCF (especially for the State
Assistance program). The LWCF
State Assistance program is the

w w w . NR P A . ORG

only program that currently provides
funding specifically for park and outdoor recreational resources at the state
and local levels. Since Congress will focus on decreasing funding and eliminating earmarks, an opportunity may exist
for Congress to specify that 40 percent
of LWCF funding must be allocated to the
State Assistance program.

Transportation
The current law governing Congress's
ability to fund transportation programs,
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), expired in
2009 but has been extended until March
4, 2011. This law permits funding of the
Transportation Enhancements program,
which is the largest U.S. funding source
for trails, walking, biking, and historic
preservation.
Uncertainty surrounds the reauthorization of the surface transportation law
in the 112th Congress. With the depletion
of the Highway Trust Fund in sight, legislators need to identify another source
of revenue or make drastic cuts to transportation programs. Given the politically
charged nature of this issue, if a reauthorization does not occur in 2011, it is likely the issue will be tabled until after the
2012 Presidential election.
Aside from the reauthorization, the FY
12 appropriations process will likely require park and recreation advocates to
play defense relative to transportation
funding for trails. In the 111th Congress
Republicans in both chambers attacked
trails funding, asserting transportation
money should be used to build and repair roads and bridges. Transportation
advocacy groups are adding to this sentiment in Congress.
In previous sessions of Congress,
money in the Highway Trust Fund was
protected, making the Highway Trust
Fund off-limits for reducing the federal
deficit. In early January, the House implemented a new rule that allows Congress
to use the funds for other purposes, which
could impact the funding appropriated to
transportation programs in the 112th.

123RF

House Committee
Leadership in the 112th

February 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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