H-1615.1  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4012

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Regala, Eickmeyer, Buck, Clements, Anderson, Veloria and Conway

Read first time 02/19/1999.  Referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

Requesting Congress to pass legislation to restore and revitalize federal funding for the land and water conservation fund.  

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, 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, Washington state contains a rich diversity of forests, rivers, seacoasts, grasslands, deserts, and other habitats, and an equally diverse population of fish and wildlife, all of which require by law some level of protection and responsible management by federal, state, and local agencies; and

    WHEREAS, Washington state also contains a large number and variety of outstanding recreational facilities and opportunities, including three national parks, a national volcanic monument, one hundred twenty-five state parks, and many local parks, trails, water access areas, swimming pools, and sports fields; and

    WHEREAS, Outdoor recreation and wildlife enjoyment are important elements of the Northwest way of life.  A large majority of Washington's residents and visitors actively pursue and enjoy a range of outdoor recreation activities, from active sports such as soccer, softball, swimming, and bicycling, to outdoor and wildlife-related pursuits such as hiking, camping, canoeing, and wildlife observation; and

    WHEREAS, Outdoor recreation and wildlife enjoyment are also important elements of Washington's economy.  For example, a 1996 survey conducted by the United States fish and wildlife service showed that annual wildlife-related recreation expenditures exceeded one hundred billion dollars, almost three billion dollars spent in Washington state.  Wildlife viewing alone accounts for more than twenty-one thousand jobs in Washington state; and

    WHEREAS, Washington's population is one of the fastest-growing in the United States, with an even faster-growing public demand for wildlife conservation, wildlife-related recreation, and outdoor recreation  facilities; and

    WHEREAS, The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was  created in 1965 to preserve, develop, and assure that all Americans have access to quality outdoor recreation.  In the thirty years since its creation, LWCF has funded the acquisition of almost seven million acres of parkland, water resources, wildlife habitat open space, and the development of more than thirty-seven thousand state, municipal, and local parks and recreation projects.  In recent years, LWCF funding for federal projects has been reduced by more than half and funding for state projects has been entirely eliminated; and

    WHEREAS, Washington and other states lack adequate, dedicated funding for fish and wildlife protection and management, especially for those species which are not hunted and fished and which are not listed as threatened or endangered.  In 1980, Congress passed the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (P.L. 96-366) which was intended to address the protection and management of nonhunted wildlife species, but the act was never funded, leaving the entire responsibility to the states;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress pass legislation to restore and revitalize federal funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, as well as to create a new dedicated fund for state-level fish and wildlife management, which would be administered by the United States fish and wildlife service.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, 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.

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