AJR 27, as amended, Levine. The Land and Water Conservation Fund.
This measure would urge the Congress of the United States to reauthorize and fully fund the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund in order to maintain and preserve land and water resources.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
2was created by Congress in 1965 as a bipartisan commitment for
3protection of natural areas, water resources, cultural heritage, and
4outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the country; and
5WHEREAS, Over the 50 years since the LWCF was created,
6billions of dollars in funding have been provided to protect valuable
P2 1land and water resources, including, but not limited to, parks,
2forests, rivers, lakes, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.
3These investments have resulted in the permanent protection of
4nearly five million acres of public lands and working landscapes;
5and
6WHEREAS, Despite being chronically underfunded, the LWCF
7has had several positive conservation and recreation impacts
8throughout the country, has protected lands in each state, and has
9supported over 41,000 state and local park projects; and
10WHEREAS, Since its inception, the LWCF has delivered over
11$2 billion to California, and has provided hundreds of millions of
12dollars more for projects through its matching fund program; and
13WHEREAS, The LWCF has helped conserve some of
14California’s most treasured and iconic natural resources in each
15region of the state, including, but not limited to, Lake Tahoe, the
16Mojave Desert, Point Reyes National Seashore, the Headwaters
17Forest Reserve, the San Diego and Don Edwards San Francisco
18Bay National Wildlife Refuges, working forests in the Sierra
19Nevada, and Central Valley wetlands; and
20WHEREAS, The LWCF has provided funding for outdoor
21recreational and park programs benefitting underserved youth and
22others in urban and rural communities throughout the state, and
23has established a critical federal partnership with state and local
24parks and communities; and
25WHEREAS, Forest Legacy Program grants are also funded
26through the LWCF to protect working forests, which support jobs
27and sustainable forest operations and enhance wildlife habitat,
28water quality, and recreation. The Forest Legacy Program grants
29have provided $12 million in federal funds, which along with
30matching funds have provided a total of $62 million in investments
31in California forests; and
32WHEREAS, The LWCF is critical to the quality of life in
33California. The LWCF protects watersheds and drinking water
34supplies; provides sustainable jobs in urban and rural communities;
35protects the economic asset that federal, state, and local public
36lands represent; conserves natural areas, wildlife habitats, and open
37space from urban parks to large landscapes; improves access for
38sportsmen, sportswomen, and recreationists to natural lands;
39stimulates local economies and jobs that support tourism and
40outdoor recreation sectors; preserves wetlands, forests, and
P3 1watersheds; and provides state and local grants to support healthy
2communities; and
3WHEREAS, According to the Outdoor Industry Association,
4active outdoor recreation supports $85.4 billion of consumer
5spending and 723,000 jobs in California, which annually generates
6$27 billion in wages and salaries and $6.7 billion in state and local
7tax revenue; and
8WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau reports that each
9year 7.4 million people engage in outdoor recreation in California,
10which contributes over $8 billion of wildlife-related recreation
11spending to the state economy; and
12WHEREAS, Despite the LWCF’s successes, many more lands
13and resources remain vulnerable and in critical need of investment,
14and many urban and rural populations remain underserved; and
15WHEREAS, The LWCF will expire if not reauthorized by
16Congress before September 30, 2015; now, therefore, be it
17Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
18California, jointly, That the Legislature urges Congress to
19permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water
20Conservation Fund; and be it further
21Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
22of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
23States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
24Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
25from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
26author for appropriate distribution.
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