Could this be part of the basis for Federal involvement with the Coastal Petroleum "taking"?
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Offshore Oil Drilling Funds Conservation in Landmark Compromise
By Cat Lazaroff
WASHINGTON, DC, November 4, 1999 (ENS) - Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives have reached a landmark agreement on a $3 billion bill to fund national conservation and preservation programs. The legislation would also create a permanent $900 million per year revenue source for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a goal that the White House has been pushing with all its resources for months.
Mojave National Preserve, among the most threatened of all federal lands, could see substantial benefits from the bill (Photo courtesy National Park Service)
The deal would increase annual funding for conservation programs and resolve some long term disagreements over the allocation of money generated by Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas drilling activities. The nearly $3 billion bill would be funded from the billion to $5 billion in royalties collected each year from companies that drill for oil in U.S. waters.
Though these funds were originally intended to help pay for conservation programs, they have been paid directly into the federal treasury for years, and used to help offset the federal deficit. The royalties not allocated by this bill will continue to be allocated through Congressional appropriations to other, unrelated programs.
"This legislation provides unprecedented and permanent support for America’s natural resources," said Representative George Miller of California, the senior Democrat on the House Resources Committee. "As with any complex bill, we have had to balance many viewpoints to craft this bill. But the bottom line is that we have agreed on an historic package that provides permanent protection to our national resources, and we need to work together to pass it."
The compromise bill provides particular benefits for coastal areas (Photo by Craig Koppie, courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
The agreement between key members of the Resources Committee and Commerce Committee comes after months of negotiations. White House representatives, including President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, have repeatedly urged Congress to provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and additional money for conservation programs.
The major sticking point has been how the OCS funds would be allocated. Coastal states, particularly oil rich Alaska, have lobbied for the lion’s share of the money, arguing that their coasts were the most heavily impacted by offshore drilling. But other states, and environmentalists, contended that linking OCS revenues to coastal states would encourage those states to approve new drilling operations that would help line state coffers.
In February, U.S. Representative George Miller, a California Democrat, was joined by Richmond Mayor Rosemary Corbin and C.A. Robertson of Richmond Police Activities League to introduce Resources 2000, a bill to protect the environment and expand open space, urban recreation and wildlife preservation (Photo courtesy Office of the Congressman)
Wednesday’s agreement is a compromise between competing version’s of the bill. Resources Committee chairman Representative Don Young, an Alaska Republican, sponsored the "Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999," which allocated OCS royalties to coastal states. Miller sponsored the "Permanent Protection for America’s Resources 2000" act, which sought to prevent OCS funds from providing incentives for additional oil drilling.
"This legislation will provide increased funding for habitat and wildlife conservation programs and urban parks," Young said. "It also provides new funding to our coastal states for important programs to protect coastal ecosystems. Every state in the nation will benefit from this historic bill."
Resources committee members Christopher John (Democrat from Louisiana), W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (Republican from Louisiana), Tom Udall (Democrat from New Mexico) and Bruce Vento (Democrat from Minnesota), as well as John Dingell of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the House Commerce Committee, joined Miller and Young in negotiating the compromise.
U.S. Representative Don Young, an Alaska Republican, heads the House Resources Committee (Photo courtesy Office of the Congressman)
Both Young and Miller have made concessions in the newly drafted legislation. Young had to approve funding for a number of environmental programs that were not in his original bill. Miller approved $1billion in funds for coastal states. At least half that amount will be divided by Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
The compromise bill divides nearly $3 billion between eight programs, some existing and some new:
Impact Assistance & Coastal Conservation - $1 billion in funds for coastal states to mitigate the environmental impacts of off-shore oil drilling
Land & Water Conservation Fund - $900 million to fully fund this 1965 conservation law and provide permanent protection for open space
Wildlife Conservation & Restoration Fund - $350 million in funds for nongame species, triple what the currently receive from a tax on sporting goods
Urban Park & Recreation Recovery - $125 million to fund a 1978 law for urban parks restoration
Historic Preservation Fund - $100 million for preservation of historic sites
Federal & Indian Lands Restoration - $200 million for a new program to restore Native American lands and federal lands within the National Forests, Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands
Conservation Easements & Species Recovery - $150 million for a new program to aid threatened and endangered species and fund conservation easements on private lands
Payment In-Lieu of Taxes & Refuge Revenue Sharing - $200 million to cover lost tax revenues
Wednesday’s agreement paves the way for the bill to be reviewed by the full Resources Committee. Sources say it may not make it out of the Committee before Congress adjourns for the year, which will likely happen in the next several weeks. Meanwhile, private property rights groups are preparing to fight the bill, which they see as encouraging federal acquisition of private lands.
House Commerce Committee Ranking Member John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, played a crucial role in negotiations over the compromise bill (Photo courtesy Office of the Congressman)
"While a couple of issues are unresolved, the nation’s strong desire for land, water and wildlife conservation should encourage the Resources Committee to approve a good bill next week," said Dingell.
"Our national park system is one of the best ideas that America has ever had," said Vento. "This bipartisan effort goes beyond protecting the crown jewels, and empowers local communities to fulfill the growing demand for park and recreation resources close to home. Whether its the need for new soccer fields, wildlife refuges or picnic areas, this funding will be there to help protect our outstanding national forests and lands."
The new legislation is available on line at: house.gov
© Environment News Service (ENS) 1999. All Rights Reserved. |
