Editorial: Lands bill deserves a vote

Friday, June 30, 2000 | 9:31 a.m.

Plenty of Las Vegans will take advantage of Independence Day falling on a Tuesday this year. They'll use a vacation day on Monday, which gives them an opportunity to take a long four-day weekend. Some of the residents will go boating, camping or fishing, while still others will head to parks and relax for a few hours, maybe longer. But once they get to where they're going, Las Vegans likely will find these destinations overcrowded, since we're sorely lacking in parks.

With that thought in mind, there is legislation pending in Congress that would send billions of dollars to the states to build more parks, recreation areas and wildlife refuges. The bill, which passed the House in May by a whopping 315-102 margin, also would allocate funds to restore environmentally damaged coastal areas. Here in Nevada, it's estimated that if the bill were to become law, this state would receive $50.6 million annually for 15 years to buy land for parks and other recreational uses.

The beauty of this legislation is that the program won't require a new tax, nor will there be a need to increase existing taxes. The money for these projects will come from the revenue the federal government currently receives from oil and gas drilling leases. Instead of these royalties going into the federal treasury, they will be earmarked for these worthy conservation efforts. In light of the roaring federal budget surpluses we've witnessed in recent years, this seems as good a time as any for a down payment on setting aside open spaces for future generations. While the bill passed easily in the House, it still hasn't received a vote in the Senate. Congress shouldn't wrap up its business this year, however, until it sends this vital legislation to President Clinton's desk for his signature.