Westerman floats land-fund overhaul

Bill would shift money to maintenance

WASHINGTON — More of the money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund should be spent on maintenance, less on property acquisition, a congressman from Arkansas says.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman introduced legislation Monday that would overhaul the way the money, which comes from offshore oil and gas leasing, is allocated, increasing the percentage that goes to states and the amount earmarked for “deferred maintenance, critical infrastructure, visitor services, and clean-up efforts” on federal land or water controlled by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

“I don’t think we need to be purchasing more land. I think we need to take care of the land and the assets we’ve got,” he said in an interview.

Future land acquisition would focus on “inholdings” — private property within the boundaries of an existing national park or other protected area.

The Republican from Hot Springs, who serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, is calling his legislation the Federal Lands Investing Partnership Act.

“We’ve got this huge maintenance backlog all across the country,” he said.

Estimates, he said, range from $16 billion to $18 billion.

“If you look in the 4th District on Hot Springs National Park and the Buffalo River, we’re at about $25 [million] or $26 million in maintenance backlog in two relatively small parks,” he said. “These parks, you know, they’re treasures and everybody loves them. We’ve just got to do a better job of taking care of them.”

Using the money to fix existing problems would be a “good and noble” use of the money, he added.

Congress created the fund in 1964 in order to safeguard the country’s “natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans,” Department of Interior officials say.

“Using zero taxpayer dollars, the fund invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help strengthen communities, preserve our history and protect our national endowment of lands and waters,” the National Park Service states on its website.

Much of it is generated due to drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, he said.

The fund contains about $20 billion.