BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AJR 27
Page 1
Date of Hearing: September 1, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE
Marc Levine, Chair
AJR 27
(Levine) - As Introduced August 27, 2015
SUBJECT: The Land and Water Conservation Fund.
SUMMARY: Urges the Congress of the United States to reauthorize
and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in
order to maintain and protect land and water resources.
Specifically, this resolution:
1)Makes findings and declarations regarding:
a) The history, purposes and benefits of the LWCF to
California and the nation, including benefits for outdoor
recreation, parks, forests and other working landscapes,
wildlife habitat, water resources, and state and local
economies;
b) The economic benefits of active outdoor recreation
which supports consumer spending and jobs in the state and
local communities; and
c) The need for further investments in land and water
conservation programs, and that the LWCF will expire if not
reauthorized by Congress before September 30, 2015.
AJR 27
Page 2
2)Urges Congress to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the
LWCF, and requests the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit
copies of this resolution to the President, Vice President,
Congressional leaders, and to each member of the California
Congressional delegation.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Under federal law, establishes the LWCF Act, the purposes of
which are to assist in preserving, developing, and assuring
United States citizens and visitors access to outdoor recreation
resources, by providing funds for and authorizing federal
assistance to states in planning, acquisition, and development
of needed land and water areas and facilities, and providing
funds for federal acquisition and development of certain lands
and other areas.
2)Provides that until September 30, 2015, the following revenues
shall be deposited into the LWCF in the Treasury of the United
States:
a) Proceeds from disposal of federal surplus real
property;
b) Motorboat fuels tax;
c) Miscellaneous receipts under the Outer Continental
Shelf Lands Act.
3)Authorizes Congress to appropriate monies from offshore oil and
gas royalties and other monies in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, in such amounts as are necessary to make the
income of the LWCF fund not less than $900 million for each
fiscal year through September 30, 2015.
AJR 27
Page 3
4)Provides that 40% of appropriations from the LWCF shall be for
federal purposes, including the national park system, national
scenic trails, national wilderness, national wild and scenic
rivers, and national recreation areas administered by the
Secretary of Agriculture.
5)Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial
assistance to states from moneys in the LWCF available for state
purposes for outdoor recreation planning, acquisition and
development. Establishes requirements for allocation of funding
among states, and provides that payments to states shall cover
not more than 50% of the costs of projects. Requires states to
prepare a comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan prior
to funding.
FISCAL EFFECT: None; this resolution is non-fiscal.
COMMENTS: This resolution urges Congress to reauthorize and fully
fund the LWCF.
1)Author's Statement: The author has introduced this measure to
encourage reauthorization of the LWCF, and to protect and further
the great legacy of land and water conservation the Act has
facilitated. The author notes that the LWCF is the country's
premiere land conservation program and has provided funds for:
recreational areas for hiking, biking, hunting, fishing, and
wildlife watching; for national, state and local parks; for
preservation of historic and cultural resources; for protection
of watersheds, wetlands, water supplies and water quality; for
conservation of working landscapes, including forests, farms and
ranches; for wildlife refuges and other wildlife habitat
conservation; and for support of local economies through
increased outdoor recreation. Virtually every county and district
AJR 27
Page 4
in the state has benefited from LWCF investments. The author also
notes the significant economic benefits that the state and local
economies have received from investments in land and water
conservation and outdoor recreation. As the state with the most
diverse natural environment in the nation, California has
significant natural and economic resources at stake that stand to
benefit from continuation of the federal/state partnership the
LWCF provides.
2)Background: Enacted in 1965, the LWCF was a bipartisan commitment
to provide ongoing funding for land and water conservation, and to
provide outdoor recreational opportunities for Americans. The Act
was proposed by President Kennedy in 1963, and ultimately signed
into law by President Johnson in 1964. Since its inception, the
LWCF has protected nearly five million acres of public lands,
including some of the country's most iconic landscapes. Funding
for the program comes primarily from a small percentage of
offshore oil and gas royalties, with a smaller amount from sales
of surplus federal properties and motorboat fuels tax. While the
Act specifies that $900 million per year is to be deposited in the
fund, significantly less than that has been appropriated annually
for purposes of the Act. In FY 2013, for example, $305 million
from the LWCF was appropriated nationwide. The program sunsets on
September 30, 2015 unless reauthorized by Congress.
The LWCF has contributed to a diverse array of land and water
conservation programs and projects, including but not limited to:
national, state and local parks; recreational areas, trails, and
waterways; cultural and historical sites; and protection of
watersheds, wetlands and forests that in turn help protect water
supplies and water quality.
California has benefitted significantly from the LWCF over its 50
year history, and has received more LWCF monies than any other
state. Approximately $2.06 billion in LWCF has gone to
California, approximately $1.78 billion of which was for federal
AJR 27
Page 5
lands and projects, $288 million for state matching grants, and
$23 million for the Forest Legacy Program, which aims to protect
working forests and sustainable timber jobs, while also protecting
air and water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational access.
Examples of areas in California that have received LWCF
investments include Lake Tahoe, the American River Parkway, Cache
Creek, Central Valley Wetlands, Consumnes River Preserve, Point
Reyes National Seashore, Pinnacles National Monument, Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, and hundreds of state and local park
projects in counties throughout the state.
The LWCF has also provided federal matching funds for local park
and recreational facility grants in California, administered by
the Department of Parks & Recreation. Priority development
projects include trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, natural areas
and cultural areas for recreational use. Property acquired or
developed under the program must be maintained in perpetuity for
public outdoor recreation use.
This resolution also cites the economic benefits of LWCF
investments, and the economic contributions of outdoor recreation
generally to the state's economy. According to the Outdoor
Industry Association, active outdoor recreation supports $85.4
billion in consumer spending and 723,000 jobs in California,
generating $27 billion in wages and salaries, and $6.7 billion in
state and local tax revenue. The United States Census Bureau
similarly reports that 7.4 million people engage in outdoor
recreation in California, which contributes over $8 billion in
wildlife-related recreation spending to the state economy. The
Trust for Public Land conducted a study that analyzed data on LWCF
investments in federal land conservation from 1998 to 2009 and
concluded that for every $1 in LWCF investment, a $4 return in
economic value was realized.
AJR 27
Page 6
This resolution acknowledges the many benefits of the LWCF, as
well as the continuing unmet need for investment in California's
land and water resources and outdoor recreation, and urges
Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the LWCF Act.
3)Prior and Related Legislation: HR 32 (Brownsley) of 2008, which
was passed by the Assembly, expressed the Assembly's support for
full appropriation of the LWCF to outdoor resources, but with
specific emphasis on the National Park Service.
4)Support Arguments: Supporters note that every region in the state
has received funding from the LWCF, which has conserved such
iconic areas as Lake Tahoe, the California Desert, Point Reyes
National Seashore, San Diego and Don Edwards National Wildlife
Refuges, the Sierra Nevada forests, and Central Valley Wetlands.
The LWCF has also supported hundreds of state and local parks and
forestry projects. Supporters also note that these investments
have helped deliver jobs, local taxes and consumer spending in the
billions to California.
5)Opposition Arguments: None received.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support:
California Council of Land Trusts
California State Park Foundation
California Trout
AJR 27
Page 7
California Waterfowl Association
Ducks Unlimited
Pacific Forest Trust
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Save the Redwoods League
Sempervirens Fund
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Solano Land Trust
The Nature Conservancy
Trout Unlimited
Trust for Public Lands
Wildlife Heritage Foundation
Opposition: None on file.
AJR 27
Page 8
Analysis Prepared by:Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096