BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AJR 27
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AJR
27 (Levine)
As Introduced August 27, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Water |10-2 |Levine, Bigelow, |Beth Gaines, Harper |
| | |Dodd, Cristina | |
| | |Garcia, Gomez, Lopez, | |
| | |Medina, Rendon, | |
| | |Salas, Williams | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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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
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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.
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;
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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.
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 bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: This resolution urges Congress to reauthorize and
fully fund the LWCF. 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,
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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 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.
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 John F. Kennedy in 1963, and ultimately
signed into law by President Lyndon B. 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
Fiscal Year (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,
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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
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 and 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
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$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.
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.
Prior related legislation includes HR 32 (Brownley) 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.
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.
There is no known opposition to this bill.
Analysis Prepared by:
Diane Colborn / W., P., & W. / (916) 319-2096
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FN:
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