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Home My WebLink About36-99 Resolution RECORD OF RESOLUTIONS Dayton legal Blank Co,. Farm No, 30045 :: 36-99 Ii R l ' N, Passed HHHHHH H HHHHHHHHHH' ] eso utwn o. H YEAR ------~~----+t====::~---- Ii A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF FULL ANNUAL FUNDING OF THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND, INCLUDING REVIT ALIZA TION OF THE STATESIDE GRANTS PROGRAM WHEREAS, in 1964, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to assure that all Americans have access to high quality recreation resources, to enhance the health and vitality of the Nation, and to preserve valuable habitat; and WHEREAS, investments from the fund support the creation of public parks, efficient management of forests, preservation of clean water and open spaces and guarantee outdoor recreational opportunities, and other social and environmental objectives for the nation; and WHEREAS, since its creation, L WCF has been responsible for the acquisition of nearly seven million acres of parks, public forests, and open space including the development of More than 37,500 state and local resource conservation and recreation projects, including playgrounds, ball fields, national historic sites, scenic trails, and nature reserves; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin has benefited from over $295,000 in LWCF appropriations for the establishment and/or expansion of four significant public parks: Dublin Community Park (Coffman Park), A very Park, Monterey Park, and Scioto Park; and WHEREAS, the L WCF Act is authorized to invest $900 million annually in recreational resources, principally from public revenue received from off-shore energy extraction, and that the Congress must annually appropriate funds from the L WCF account; and WHEREAS, the Congress envisioned and encouraged and the Act authorizes federal-state- local partnerships to create a national network of public parks and other recreation resources accessible to all people; and WHEREAS, the fund emphasizes the need to conserve public spaces and to develop and maintain state and local resources in anticipation of increasing population and response to rapid changes in land use and availability; and WHEREAS, for several years, no allocations have been made to fund the stateside grants program, though the enabling legislation provided for such allocations and encourage Congress to provide "close to home" sites and recreational opportunities; and WHEREAS, without Congressional allocations for stateside programs, states are severely limited in their capacity to develop parks and open spaces or provide funds to local jurisdictions for the creation of neighborhood recreational facilities; and WHEREAS, the need to preserve open spaces and develop and maintain local parks and recreational facilities becomes more critical each year due to the demands placed on such facilities by ever increasing populations; and WHEREAS, state and local governments equally match federal fiscal resources, then assume all costs of management and provision of recreation services, thus often containing the cost of potential federal actions to meet public demand, NOW, l.:EREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Dublin, State of Ohio, members concurring that: RECORD OF RESOLUTIONS Dayton Legal Blank Co" Farm No, 30045 i I 36-99 I! Resolution No. " Passed ',..,"""',.."....,............,""',......,""',......, ==-==-=--=--=-=F- YEAR ,! Section 1. The Council of the City of Dublin see, as an absolutely critical need, the full funding of the LWCF annually, including revitalizing the stateside grants program; and Section 2. The Council of the City of Dublin encourages Congress to allocate at least 40% of funds available for the stateside programs to be divided equally among the states to fund state and municipal projects; and Section 3. Any federally funded urban parks program be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Section 4. A copy of this resolution be mailed to the President, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the bipartisan leadership of the Congress. dayO~' 1999 ~ ,.......-'y. "~ ATTEST: ~ (L.~ Clerk of Council I heteby certify thdt copies of this Ordinance/Resolution were posted in thf City of Dublin in accordance witli Section 731.25 of the l)f1io Revised Code. I Department of Service 6351 Shier-Rings Road. Dublin, Ohio 43016-1243 Memo CITY OF DUBLIN Phone: 614-761-6570 Fax: 614-761-6512 To: All Members Dublin City Council From: Timothy C. Hansley, City Manager I Initiated by: Dana L. McDaniel, Director of Service Date: September 2, 1999 Re: Resolution 36-99 Attached, please find proposed Resolution 36-99. This Resolution is intended to express Dublin's support of Federal legislation which would provide full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), including revitalization of the stateside program. This Resolution is being brought before Council at the recommendation of the Dublin Natural Resources Advisory Commission. Should Council approve this Resolution, it will be forwarded to the appropriate Federal and Congressional offices immediately. It is anticipated that Congress will vote on the legislation this month. In 1965 legislation was passed to permanently safeguard this country's natural resources in order to protect wildlife, improve and expand national parks, and conserve open space and wilderness areas. Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) which is financed by royalties from drilling of Federally owned offshore oil and gas deposits on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The underlying philosophy behind the L WCF is that a portion of the profits produced from extracting natural resources owned by the public should support efforts to replenish and protect this country's natural legacy for the public. Since 1977, $900 million has been set aside for L WCF each year. It appears that Congress has spent most of these funds for other purposes. Appropriations have been cut back to about one-third of the original amount, while the remaining two-thirds has been funneled back into the general treasury for non-conservation initiatives. (LWCF is composed of Federal and State components.) As a result, the L WCF has failed to achieve its full potential, and demand has skyrocketed for financial support to develop and manage worthwhile Federal and State conservation initiatives to protect habitat and expand recreational opportunities. Even though the L WCF has never been fully funded, it is still one of the nation's most successful conservation programs. Federal and State-managed L WCF initiatives have helped protect nearly seven million acres of parkland, water resources, and open space and create more than 37,000 state and local park and recreation projects including playgrounds, swimming pools and hiking trails. C: \Wil1dows\ternp\lwcfrnemo.doc The L WCF has two components: . A Federal program that funds the purchase ofland and water areas in order to preserve open spaces and protect natural resources as well as to expand recreation opportunities. . A State matching grants program that provides funds to states for acquiring land and water areas for the same purposes. The L WCF is responsible for protecting some of America's greatest national treasures including the Grand Canyon, Appalachian Scenic Trail, Redwood National Park, and the Everglades. The City of Dublin has received the following from the LWCF: 1975 Dublin Community Park (Coffman Park) -- $41,871 1977 Avery Park -- $100,000 1977 Monterey Park -- $78,225 1978 Scioto Park -- $75,000 Congress is now debating several legislative initiatives that would permanently dedicate Federal funds (without the need for annual approval by Congress) to the LWCF at the full originally authorized level of $900 million to promote conservation efforts around the country. As they have over the past 30 years, these funds would come from the approximately $4 billion in annual revenues produced by OCS oil and gas leases. Again, the Dublin Natural Resources Advisory Commission recommends passage of Resolution 36-99. Should you have any questions please contact any member of the Commission or Dana McDaniel at work: 761-6570 or home: 717-0861. Thank you. DLM/tb c: Natural Resources Advisory Commission c: \windows\temp\lwcfmemo. doc