Bush proposes cooperation, not federal orders in land conservation

Glen Johnson

Thursday, June 1, 2000 | 4:58 a.m.

SAND HARBOR STATE PARK, Nev. - George W. Bush proposed more money and a change in philosophy for land conservation Thursday, urging cooperation instead of orders flowing from a "Washington-centered mindset."

One idea: a 50 percent cut in the capital gains taxes paid when a landowner sells property for conservation purposes.

Standing on the shore of Lake Tahoe on a crisp, late-spring morning, the Republican presidential contender criticized the Clinton-Gore administration for unilaterally extending federal control over forests, monument properties and seashores.

In a show of support, he was joined by fellow Republican Govs. Kenny Guinn of Nevada, Jim Geringer of Wyoming and Bill Owens of Colorado.

"This Washington-centered mindset breeds resentment and it breeds needless conflict," Bush said. "It's time to build conservation partnerships between the federal government and the state governments and the local communities and private landowners."

The Texas governor said that in his home state, "we have succeeded not by antagonizing people but by inviting folks to become part of the solution."

Antagonism was evident Thursday on another environmental-political matter. A member of the Sierra Club board said it had been "unfair and misleading" for the Republicans to have distributed this week a six-month-old e-mail in which he said Vice President Al Gore had a "tawdry environmental record."

Michael Dorsey said his internal message had been written "in the context of the Gore versus Bill Bradley race" for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Bush's henchmen at the Republican National Committee, who distributed this dated e-mail, failed to ask me my opinion on the worrisome governor's lackluster environmental leadership," Dorsey said in a statement.

Bush's new proposals got predictably little respect from the Gore camp.

"Governor Bush has been reinventing himself since the primary, and recasting himself as a conservationist today is the biggest stretch yet," said Gore spokesman Doug Hattaway.

"A year ago, he didn't seem to know what the Land and Water Conservation Fund was; now hes doing photo ops about it. Under his leadership, Texas ranks 49th in spending on state parks," Hattaway added.

In addition to the capital-gains tax break, Bush proposed:

The Clinton administration has ordered protection for substantial parcels of land.

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt asked President Clinton to declare four new national monuments in Arizona, Washington state, Oregon and Colorado.

If Clinton approves the request, as expected, he will have used the 1906 Antiquities Act to protect nearly 3.7 million acres - the second most by a U.S. president.

Last Friday in Assateague, Md., the president pledged to place unique stretches of sea and beach beyond danger from fishing, drilling or other human activities. And in mid-April in California, Clinton set aside 328,000 acres of federal forests to preserve 34 groves of giant sequoia.

While environmentalists have praised the decisions, some Republicans have protested what they term "land grabs."