H-3700              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4032

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives K. Wilson, Bumgarner, Spanel, Beck, Belcher, Basich, Sayan, Meyers, Sutherland andP. King

Read first time 1/20/88 and referred to Committee on Natural Resources.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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, The State of Washington faces a growing demand for recreation in urban and rural areas on both upland and aquatic sites, from passive activities to team sports, with benefits accruing to both participants and spectators; and

          WHEREAS, Recent evidence illustrates that constructing and enhancing recreation facilities improves local property values, assists in attracting industry, and creates new employment opportunities; and

          WHEREAS, The State of Washington has authorized the sale of over ninety million dollars in bonds for recreation in the past three decades, yet over fifty million dollars in demand exists every biennium; and

          WHEREAS, A shortage of funds in 1987 meant that local governments that had raised nearly five million dollars in local money could not proceed with the projects due to a shortage of state and federal funds; and

          WHEREAS, Federal legislation authorizes that nine hundred million dollars annually be allocated from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to local, state, and federal agencies for recreational land acquisition, development, and renovation; and

          WHEREAS, This full nine hundred million dollar amount has never been appropriated in the twenty-one year history of the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and

          WHEREAS, Allocated funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund have declined at a time when the demands on our public outdoor recreation areas and facilities have grown rapidly and the money available from the state is declining; and

          WHEREAS, Since the inception of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 1966, the State of Washington has received over 53.3 million dollars from the fund for state and local agencies' recreation projects; and

          WHEREAS, The revenue in 1979 to the State of Washington from the fund amounted to six million nine hundred thousand dollars while in 1987 the state received less than one-tenth that amount; and

          WHEREAS, These funds have been utilized to acquire, develop, and renovate needed recreational areas and facilities located throughout Washington State; and

          WHEREAS, The Land and Water Conservation Fund is due to expire in 1989;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the federal appropriation to the state and local governments from the Land and Water Conservation Fund be increased to two hundred million dollars during 1988; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and other park supporters.