S-1136               _______________________________________________

                                          SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 8005

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senator Metcalf

Read first time 1/24/89 and referred to Committee on Environment & Natural Resources.

TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, Since its enactment in 1964, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund has been the source of over $53 million in financial assistance to state and local park, recreation, and conservation projects in the state of Washington; and

          WHEREAS, Over four hundred seventy projects were made possible by this assistance, which has contributed enormously to the quality of life in Washington communities and has stimulated over two dollars from state and local sources for every federal dollar contributed, resulting in creation of jobs and economic development; and

          WHEREAS, Growth in population and recreation demand in Washington, as well as aging of existing park and recreation facilities, has created substantial needs for continued federal, state, and local funding for park and recreation facility planning, acquisition, development, and rehabilitation; and

          WHEREAS, The instability and wide fluctuations in federal funding has impeded state and local budgetary planning for park, recreation, and conservation facilities; and

          WHEREAS, The President's Commission on Americans Outdoors recommended that Congress make the fund a dedicated trust fund to provide a more stable source of funding;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress provide a dedicated trust fund as a source of funding for an outdoor recreation grant program that contains the following elements:

          (1) Funds should be earmarked to encourage partnerships between the private sector and public entities;

          (2) At least one-half of the receipts of the trust fund should be available for state and local governments;

          (3) The planning requirements of the program should encourage, but not require, detailed state-wide and local recreational planning;

          (4) The program should be designed to encourage states to adopt similar outdoor recreation trust funds at the state level; and

          (5) The level of funding should be consistent from year to year so that state and local governments can adequately plan for acquiring funds to meet the matching requirements of the program.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.