Land & Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization Working Group Thursday March 13, 2014

LWCF Land & Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization Working Group Responsible Committee Joint working group of the Teaming With Wildlife and Legislative & Federal Budget Committees Purpose Review & assess benefits of LWCF to fish & wildlife & make recommendations for improving the act Charge Conduct a review & analysis of benefits of the Act to fish & wildlife and hunters, anglers and wildlife viewers & draft recommendation on how to better align the Act to fish and wildlife agency priorities Working Group Members: David Whitehurst (VA)*, Scott Gunderson (WI)*, Mike Harris (GA); Tim Ripperger (MO); Tim Schaeffer (PA); Tim McCoy (NE); Kendra Wecker (OH); Laurie Hanauska-Brown (MT); Larry Kruckenburg (WAFWA); Caroline Brouwer (DU); Jon Gassett (WMI); Christy Plummer (TNC); Gary Kania (CSF). * co-chairs

BACKGROUND Created in 1965, up for reauthorization in 2015 Purpose: Preserve, develop, and assure access to outdoor recreation facilities to strengthen the health of U.S. citizens Authorized at $900M/year; source of funds revenue from OCS oil and gas leases Disbursements Federal (62%)- acquisition for FWS, NPS, BLM, FS States (28%)- planning, acquisition, development of recreational lands and waters Other (10%)- Since FY98 programs like SWG

BACKGROUND Appropriations to full authorization level rarely attained in ~50 year history Public Access-1.5% for recreational access (hunting, fishing, other) FY14 Administration Request for dedicated funding Legislation S338-LWCF Authorization and Funding Act of 2013 HR2727-LWCF Amendment to provide no less than 40% to states

BACKGROUND

Guiding Principle 1. Make Fish and Wildlife Conservation a Primary Purpose of LWCF Extraction, transport and use of oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) impacts fish and wildlife and their habitats. The Land and Water Conservation Fund should directly support fish and wildlife conservation, particularly at-risk species to ensure their long-term sustainability.

Guiding Principle 2. Make LWCF a Dedicated Trust Fund A minimum of $1.1 billion annually in OCS royalties and fees should be dedicated without further appropriation to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Dedicating these funds to conservation will ensure that current and future generations benefit from the use of publicly held oil and gas resources. Dedicated funding should be indexed to the Consumer Price Index to maintain purchasing power.

Guiding Principle 3. Broaden LWCF to Include Fish & Wildlife Conservation Programs ($200M) Broaden LWCF to Include Fish and Wildlife Conservation Programs ($200M)-Land acquisition plays an important role in fish and wildlife conservation and recreational access. However, funding a larger suite of conservation actions through existing grant programs would lead to better outcomes for fish and wildlife, better reflect local conservation needs and promote public private partnerships. We recommend the following successful conservation programs be included under LWCF at the specified annual funding levels.

Guiding Principle 3. Broaden LWCF to Include Fish & Wildlife Conservation Programs ($200M) State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program ($120 million). As the principal program to prevent endangered species listings, State and Tribal Wildlife Grants provide states with resources to implement voluntary conservation actions identified in State Wildlife Action Plans on public and private lands. The program supports efforts to conserve species at landscape scales and leverages state and private funds. Funding for the program could be placed in the existing Wildlife Conservation Restoration Account to broaden its reach to include outdoor recreation and conservation education in addition to conservation of at-risk species.

Guiding Principle 3. Broaden LWCF to Include Fish & Wildlife Conservation Programs ($200M) North American Wetland Conservation Fund ($75 million). This program supports the long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated uplands habitats. The North American Wetland Conservation Fund leverages $3 in state and private funds for every federal dollar. Projects funded through the program are approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

Guiding Principle 3. Broaden LWCF to Include Fish & Wildlife Conservation Programs ($200M) Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund ($5 million). This program supports the long-term conservation of neotropical migratory birds and their habitats through partnerships between the United States, Latin America, Canada and the Caribbean. The program promotes capacity building that is helping to perpetuate healthy populations of neotropical migratory birds, enabling full lifecycle conservation and thereby reducing listing threats under the Endangered Species Act.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Fund Acquisition, Easements and Management ($450 million) Funding to purchase and conserve national wildlife refuges, national forests/grasslands and national parks is needed to safeguard fish and wildlife habitat and support outdoor recreation.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Fund Acquisition, Easements and Management ($450 million) Continue Funding Forest Legacy & Cooperative Endangered Species Programs -In recent years, these programs have been funded through LWCF, and we support and recommend they continue to be funded in that manner in the future. The Forest Legacy Program protects environmentally important forest lands that are threatened by conversion to non- forest uses through federal funding for conservation easements and fee simple purchases. The LWCF also provides funds to States through the Cooperative Endangered Species Programs to help recover and delist federally threatened and endangered species, the efforts and outcomes of which reduce future taxpayer expenditures under the Endangered Species Act and reduce regulatory threats and risks to industries and private landowners.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Fund Acquisition, Easements and Management ($450 million) Support Public Access -Many tracts of federal land remain unavailable for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and other forms of outdoor recreation because of access. At least 5% of LWCF funds should be used to pay for fee title acquisition, easements, and long-term agreements for trails, trailheads, and other non- construction pathways to improve access to existing parcels of federal land.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Fund Acquisition, Easements and Management ($450 million) Support Conservation Easements -Conservation easements are playing an increasingly important role in fish and wildlife conservation. Easements can be used as a tool to protect important habitats without impacting the local tax base or increasing federal land management costs. A portion of LWCF funds should be used to fund conservation easements to meet access and conservation goals, particularly when fee title acquisition is not an option.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Fund Acquisition, Easements and Management ($450 million) Support Stewardship - Threats from invasive species, fire suppression and other forms of habitat degradation are impacting vast tracts of public lands and the fish and wildlife which use them as well as negatively affecting the public’s outdoor experience on these lands. However, the funding and flexibility available to agencies through annual appropriations for land stewardship is far less than what is needed to address these habitat threats and their impacts. Investing a portion of LWCF funds into habitat management and maintenance of public lands would improve stewardship; improve the sustainability of fish, wildlife, and their habitats, including at-risk species; and encourage and enhance the outdoor recreation experience for future generations..

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Continue to Fund Stateside Assistance ($450 million) The composition and complexity of land ownership, management, conservation and communities has changed since LWCF was enacted. Fee title acquisition has been successful, but there is an increasing need in some states to use other conservation tools to meet the needs of local communities. Allowing state and federal agencies maximum flexibility to utilize easements, long term agreements (as allowed by state law) and fee-title acquisitions by both state and federal agencies would increase the ability to meet local needs and priorities and increase citizen’s access to public lands.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Continue to Fund Stateside Assistance ($450 million) Contracted State and federal budgets continue to affect and jeopardize agency priorities. Allowing State and federal agencies maximum flexibility to utilize partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and other public/private entities in conjunction with the LWCF could help ease some of the challenges associated with current state match, resources, and capacity limitations. Furthermore, providing States with the maximum flexibility to utilize the LWCF for habitat management and stewardship of those lands and waters would provide for continued management of our natural resources and increase the quality of the outdoor recreation experience.

Guiding Principle 4. LWCF Should Continue to Fund Stateside Assistance ($450 million) Providing States with the flexibility to use LWCF on both recreation lands and important fish and wildlife habitat to meet both the recreation needs of local communities, outdoor recreationists, and fish and wildlife is critical. Such flexibility could improve States’ ability to prioritize the many uses of LWCF funds and strategically collaborate with local communities to enhance management of priority fish, wildlife, habitats, and recreational needs and preclude the need to list some species under the Endangered Species Act, saving federal taxpayer dollars..