[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[pct-l] AHS Capitol Trials Broadcast

American Hiking Society's	                            May 1998
Capitol Trails Broadcast for AHS Affiliates and Partners	No. 20

Urgent Action Needed To Stop Devastating Funding Cuts To Public Lands And 
Trails Programs!

   We need your help to stop devastating funding cuts currently proposed in
the Fiscal Year 1999 House Budget Resolution. National scenic trails, national
historic trails, and National Park Service, USDA Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management trails will all be hurt. 

   Last week, the House Budget Committee passed its FY '99 Budget Resolution.
The Resolution will be voted on by the House of Representatives on June 4th
after Congress Members return from their Memorial Day District work period.
Since Members will be in their districts this week, there is a great
opportunity to personally tell your Member of Congress that you oppose the
destructive funding cuts proposed by this resolution. 

   The House Budget Resolution contains about $5 billion in cuts over the next
five years to programs that conserve and protect our environment and natural
resources -- these cuts are over and above deep cuts already contained in last
year's  Balanced Budget Agreement. Moreover, the Resolution provides for an
additional $12.3 billion in unspecified cuts -- some of these could come out
of environment and natural resource programs as well.

PLEASE ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO TELL HOUSE SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH AND HOUSE
BUDGET CHAIR JOHN KASICH THAT HE/SHE WILL OPPOSE THE HOUSE BUDGET RESOLUTION
UNLESS FUNDING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROGRAMS IS RESTORED.

   Our public lands and trails programs are already underfunded even under
current budget levels.  Additional cutbacks will cripple these vital programs
even further. With these new cuts the following needs will become even worse,
for example:

Land and Water Conservation Fund. With the proposed funding cuts, the backlog
of needed acquisitions under the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect
key land, water, and open space resources will continue to grow. Opportunities
to provide recreational opportunities for our families and communities and to
protect wildlife habitat, water resources and wilderness areas will be lost.

   If this budget makes it through, then opportunities to protect trails will
be lost. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) are leading
efforts to secure $5 million to acquire land in southern California to protect
the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. In Florida, more than half of the
Representatives signed on to a letter started by Reps. John Mica (R-FL) and
Allen Boyd (D-FL), urging the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to
appropriate $1 million to acquire a section of the Florida National Scenic
Trail in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Operations and Maintenance Needs of our Trails, Parks and Forests.  With the
proposed funding cuts, the deterioration of our wildlife refuges, parks, and
forests will continue. The trails program in the USDA Forest Service alone
currently has an estimated $267 million backlog in operations and maintenance
needs.

   It is critical that you let your Member of Congress know about your
opposition to the House Budget Resolution before it goes to the House floor on
June 4. 

   Please make a special effort to contact your Member of Congress if on the
list below: Bass (R-NH), Bereuter (R-NE), Bilbray (R-CA), Blute (R-MA),
Boehlert (R-NY), Castle (R-DE), Davis (R-VA), Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Ehlers (R-
MI), English (R-PA), Fawell (R-IL), Foley (R-FL), Forbes (R-NY), Fox (R-PA),
Franks (R-NJ,) Freylinghuysen (R-NJ), Ganske (R-IA), Gilchrest (R-MD), Gillmor
(R-OH), Gilman (R-NY), Goss (R-FL), Greenwood (R-PA), Hobson (R-OH), Horn (R-
CA), Houghton (R-MA), Jenkins (R-TN), Johnson (R-CT), Kelly (R-NY), Kingston
(R-GA), Klug (R-WI), LaTourette (R-1OH), Lazio (R-NY), Leach (R-IA), Lewis (R-
CA), LoBiondo (R-NJ), McInnis (R-CO), Miller (R-FL), Morella (R-MD), Porter
(R-IL), Quinn (R-NY), Ramstad (R-MN), Regula (R-OH), Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),
Roukema (R-NJ), Sanford (R-SC), Saxton (R-NJ), Shaw (R-FL), Shays (R-CT),
Smith (R-NJ), Upton (R-MI), Walsh (R-NY), Wamp (R-TN), Weldon (R-PA), White
(R-WA), Wolf (R-VA) and Young (R-FL).

     ***** Rivers & Trails Boost in Senate *****

   Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has sent a letter to all Senate members asking
them to join him in support of the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and
Conservation Assistance program (RTCA). Please contact your Senators and urge
them to co-sign the letter. 

   RTCA is a federal program which acts at the local level. It becomes
involved when formally asked by landowners, local officials and citizens who
share the desire to protect or to provide their communities around rivers or
trails projects. It has been instrumental in the development of the Mountains
to the Sound Trail in Washington and the Portland, Maine trail system.

***************
To call your Member of Congress:
US Capitol Switchboard: 
(202) 224-3121

To write your Senator:
The Honorable ________________ 
United States Senate
Washington, DC  20510

To write your Representative:
The Honorable _________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515

To contact President Clinton:
(202) 456-1111 (phone)
http://president@whitehouse.gov

To contact your Member on-line:
http://thomas.loc.gov/

American Hiking Society, 1422 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================