lewis ledford letter

8/20/2019 Lewis Ledford Letter

1/5

National Association of State Park Directors

P.O. Box 91567 Raleigh, NC 27675

(919) 218-9222 [email protected]

www.naspd.org

Promoting and advancing the state park systems of America for their own significance, as wellas for their important contributions to the nation's environment, heritage, health and economy.

For Immediate Release Contact: Lewis LedfordJuly 14, 2015 [email protected]

919 218-9222

STATE PARKS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED IN LWCF REAUTHORIZATION

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of Congress’ most visionary acts, is set to expire. It has

and continues to enjoy bipartisan support. It is time for action, not only to reauthorize LWCF, but restoreits original intent.

Congress created the LWCF in 1965 as a bipartisan commitment to safeguard natural areas, waterresources, and our cultural heritage and provide outdoor recreation opportunities. The act will expire thisSeptember, unless reauthorization occurs.

Of key concern to state parks systems and local governments across the country, as Congress evaluatesLWCF’s reauthorization, is the distribution breakdown to address federal and stateside parks andrecreation needs.

Originally, 60 percent of the funds in the LWCF program were specifically designated for state and local projects. The remaining 40 percent was for federal agency land acquisition. In 1976, LWCF waschanged to remove the 60 percent guarantee of funding for the LWCF State Assistance Program. Sincefiscal year 2004, the state assistance portion of the program has averaged only 12.5 percent of the totalappropriation, while the federal land acquisition and other federal programs have received 87.5 percentof the funding.

The LWCF State Assistance funds are distinguished and made more effective by an equitabledistribution formula to each state and the requirement of a local dollar-for-dollar match. The LWCFgrants to states support the acquisition and development of state and local parks and recreationalfacilities.

The State Assistance Program, which was founded as a core priority program at the time of the LWCF’screation, has been especially neglected over the last two decades. It has been the victim of two majorchanges to the LWCF Act to not only change the mandatory allocations, but also add new and looselydefined “related purposes” as eligible uses for LWCF dollars. These “related purposes” or new programswere added to the law in 1997. The additional accounts have effectively squeezed the State Allocationdown to less than 13 percent of total LWCF appropriations since 1998.


2/5

2

The national priorities publically identified in 1965, 1980, and more recently in 2010 continued to verifyneeds within local communities and the states for additional outdoor recreation areas and facilities. TheLWCF Act was designed to create close-to-home recreation opportunities.

While not every community has a national park and their associated benefits, every community has localoutdoor recreation resources. America’s state parks provided wonderful outdoor recreation experiencesand unique historical, scientific and environmental education opportunities to the 739,615,816 people

who visited them last year. People of all ethnic groups, income levels, ages, and abilities use state andlocal parks on a daily basis. Those visitors are drawn to many of the natural resources and recreationalopportunities made possible through the partnership created by the LWCF State Assistance Program.

Local parks departments have also notably benefitted from LWCF. Over two-thirds of LWCF StateAssistance projects have been awarded to over 10,800 municipal, county and territorial public agenciesincluding Native American communities.


3/5

3

The primary source of income to the fund is fees paid to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,Regulation and Enforcement by companies drilling offshore for oil and gas. The original concept was touse funds generated by the depletion of natural resources to permanently protect other important naturalresources. Congress regularly diverts most of the funds from this source to other purposes, however.

LWCF has been a key reason for the vast diversity of outdoor recreation available in numerous state andlocal parks, which owe their very existence to the stateside fund. Furthermore, the annual economicimpact of State Parks exceeds $20 billion to local and state economies. Simply put, state and local parks provide important contributions to the nation's environment, heritage, health, and economy.

State agencies are strategically positioned to ensure good planning, budgeting and accountability forLWCF state assistance projects because they are immersed within the states and their local communities.

In 1965, the US population was 194 million. The US Census agency projects the population to reach 321million this year – with fully four-out-of-five Americans living in our larger metropolitan regions. Stateand local outdoor recreation opportunities must grow to keep pace with a growing population and

shifting demographics.

Reauthorization of LWCF, with balanced and equitable funding of the State Assistance allocation, willhave great impact today and for future generations in meeting the purposes of the original Act and theneeds of a growing populace.

Restoring the state share consistent with the original intent of the legislation would mean millions morespent on close to home projects determined by state agencies, in a transparent process, who know bestwhat local constituents want and need in terms of outdoor recreation. It is estimated that dedicating 60 percent of funds to the state assistance program would more than triple the funds available to localcommunities.

Lewis Ledford is executive director of the National Association of State Parks Directors and is the

former director of the North Carolina state parks system and state administrator of LWCF.

###


4/5

4


5/5

5

lewis ledford letter

Documents