OCR Text |
Show Act to provide that revenues from Outer Continental Shelf mineral leasing programs could be used to guarantee an annual level of $200 million to the fund.18 This provision ends in 1973. We endorse current legislative efforts to assure that the Land and Water Conservation Fund is maintained at a proper level. The backlog of authorizations for recreation projects makes this mandatory. We are, however, opposed in principle to the earmarking of Federal receipts and, therefore, do not recommend that the Land and Water Conservation Fund become a permanent vehicle for the financing of public land outdoor recreation programs. It is our belief that, through an accelerated program of funding, the United States can keep its 18 16 U.S.C. §4601-5(c) (Supp. V, 1970). commitments to its citizens for the establishment and development of recreation areas and then rely on the normal appropriation process. Once acquisition of new sites has been completed, the fund can and should be used for development purposes. The development of facilities on recreation areas fulfills the Government's promise to the people that the areas will be made available. Finally, we recommend that access to the Land and Water Conservation Fund should not be limited to particular land management agencies having responsibility for outdoor recreation activities. Specifically, for example, we recommend that Bureau of Land Management outdoor recreation programs should be considered eligible on the same basis as other recreation programs for participation in the Land and Water Conservation Fund. 216 |