PRSR INFORMATION 11-08-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

OCT 2 4, iia • Whit. 0ouse, congressional negotiators agree to set"a \ e $12 billion for land conservation NEW YORK TIMES Under the new program, federal spending on conservation efforts would more than double to $1.6 bil- WASHINGTON — White House lion in the next fiscal year, which and congressional negotiators agreed starts Sunday. The amount would Friday to set aside $12 billion over grow steadily to $ 4 billion in the six years for a sweeping land conser- 2006 fiscal year j vation effort "This is, by far, the greatest in- crease According to the White House and crease in conservation spending in lawmakers who cobbled together the the history of the country," said Rep. agreement after two years of debate, Norm Dicks, D-Wash., who helped the money would be fenced off in a negotiate the agreement. '} special conservation account. As much money as Friday's com- The account would be similar to promise provides, it is a scaled-back version of a conservation proposal the Highway Trust Fund and would pushed by President Bill Clinton and j provide a way to assure a steady, if environmentalists. They sought $45 not completely guaranteed, flow of billion for conservation efforts over a money for protecting sensitive land. 15-year period. That measure has j been stalled in the Senate. Activities for which the money would be used include buying land In the past,money allocated to pro- for national parks and national monu- grams such as the Federal Land and ments, making grants to cities for ur- Water Conservation Fund could, and 4 ban parks and green space, buying frequently was, used for other pur- and maintaining historic sites, such poses. The legislation would require as.Civil War battlefields, and.setting, that.the.mnney.only,be used for con-__.. upJ ddbfc.fefugeS... - ,.y ;servatiO rt-F_,,.'�' 'Dff� f'_':i1`. ?;>;iz:?: 'yi bJ I l �i� t � r. 5,1e,i2 /case 4rvd on-c Ca 7 •