FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2006
Reps. Bass and Allen Lead Letter Supporting Conservation Funding; Record 122 U.S. House Members Sign Letter to Interior Subcommittee
The Appalachian Mountain Club and the Northern Forest Alliance today applauded a recent bipartisan effort in Congress to secure greater funding for land conservation, a move supporters hope will help lead to protection of critical lands in the Northern Forest region.
A Congressional sign-on letter spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH) and U.S. Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME) supporting increased funding for important land conservation programs was signed by a record 122 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The March 16 letter requesting $80 million for the Forest Legacy Program, $100 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) state grant program, and $220 million for the LWCF federal program in FY 2007 was sent to the House Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations.
In addition to U.S. Congressmen Bass and Allen, representatives from the Northern Forest region signing onto the letter included Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), and Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT).
Among the bipartisan group signing the letter were representatives from a wide array of states, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Carolina, Alabama, Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, and Arizona.
Congressmen Bass and Allen have led similar, successful efforts over the last few years. This year’s letter drew a greater number of signatures than ever before.
"Our members truly appreciate the leadership that Congressmen Charlie Bass and Tom Allen exhibited in spearheading this effort again,” said Andrew J. Falender, Executive Director of the Appalachian Mountain Club. “Their initiative helps illustrate how strong support is across the country for land conservation in general and the Forest Legacy and Land and Water Conservation Fund programs, specifically."
The House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees are expected to vote in late April or early May on funding for conservation programs and funding for specific conservation projects. All four Northern Forest states have Forest Legacy projects seeking funding in the upcoming federal fiscal year, including the Grafton Notch Forest project in Maine, which was ranked as the number one priority Forest Legacy project in the President’s FY07 budget released in February, and the nearby Phillips Brook project in New Hampshire that was not included on the list. Federal land managers in the region are requesting LWCF funding for acquisition of in-holdings from willing sellers, in the Silvio Conte and Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuges and the Green Mountain National Forest. Funding for these projects was not included in the President’s budget.
“Funding for the Forest Legacy Program and Land and Water Conservation Fund have helped conserve 2.7 million acres of the Northern Forest since 1990,” said Jad Daley, Campaign Director for the Northern Forest Alliance. “Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Bass and Allen to rally support, there is a better chance that our region’s conservation projects currently under consideration will ultimately get funded.”
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region.
The Northern Forest Alliance is a coalition of conservation, recreation and forestry organizations united in their commitment to protect the Northern Forest of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
More information on Forest Legacy, LWCF, and other conservation funding programs is available on the Web at www.outdoors.org/conservation.
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