Columnist Paula DelGiudice: CARA receives strong support in Washington

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 1:41 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at PDelGiudice@compuserve.com.

Congress took a giant step toward final enactment of a historic conservation funding bill last week when it passed the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) by an overwhelming vote of 315 to 102.

This major victory for CARA sends a strong signal to the Senate to take similar and timely action on this important and widely supported measure.

"CARA's success is due in large measure to the unprecedented bipartisan efforts of Resources Committee Chairman Don Young and Ranking Member George Miller. These leaders and other members of Congress crafted a balanced bill that makes a critical investment in the future of the nation's natural resources while respecting the interests of private property owners," said Paul W. Hansen, executive director of the Izaak Walton League of America.

"Their contribution to conservation today will be recognized and honored by our children and grandchildren in years to come."

Not only does CARA receive vast bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, but also across the country.

The bill is endorsed by all 50 state governors, by states and local communities, dozens of newspapers in every region of the country, hunters and anglers, and leading parks, environmental and recreation organizations.

CARA will invest nearly $3 billion each year for 15 years in rehabilitation of important coastal habitat, conservation of increasingly valuable public lands through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), conservation and management by state agencies of wildlife resources by expanding the highly successful Pittman-Robertson federal aid program, urban parks and recreation, historic preservation and farmland and endangered species protection.

"What better time than the beginning of a new century to refocus the nation's priorities on the importance of conserving our natural heritage," said conservation director Jim Mosher. "And what is more appropriate than to follow the strategy established by the LWCF of investing revenue from depletion of nonrenewable resources into our renewable natural resources."

In Nevada, should CARA pass the Senate, the positive impact will be substantial. It is estimated that Nevada will receive approximately $13 million annually. The majority of this money will be used to support state wildlife and habitat protection programs and for urban park projects throughout the state.

Because its impacts reach so many people in such a positive way, it's hard to argue with those who support this legislation. Wildlife and conservation advocates have been lobbying for years for some sort of conservation funding mechanism that isn't derived from the sales of hunting and fishing license sales that could be used to support those animals that are not hunted or fished.

Outdoorsmen and manufacturers support the notion, but widespread support for some sort of tax to support these efforts was slow in building. With CARA though, the funding mechanism already exists.

The funding would come in part from fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund designed in 1965 to split $900 million annually between state and federal park and outdoor recreation projects. The money for the fund comes from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases. The amount received from these leases can reach $3 billion annually.

In past years, however, the Fund was held captive by the annual appropriations process. The money was used elsewhere and the fund was appropriately funded.

In the Governor's Letter sent last year to ranking members of the House, 40 governors signed onto a letter that said in part, "Since outer continental shelf revenues come from nonrenewable resources, it makes sense to permanently dedicate them to natural resource conservation rather than dispersing them for general government purposes."