Congress drastically underfunds fund to protect national parks

WASHINGTON—Officials say they need $6 million in federal money to prevent pockets of land around Redwood National Park from being used for private interests.

The Everglades National Park needs $2.5 million for the same purpose.

And on a more local level, communities need federal money to help create baseball fields and smaller parks.

There’s a fund for all that, and vulnerable House Republicans are feeling pressure to make sure that money keeps coming in—permanently.

Started in 1965, the fund that uses money from offshore oil drilling to protect and create national and local parks has to be renewed by the end of September, or the money will no longer be available.

The fund protects national parks by buying up pockets of private land in and around the parks, which could otherwise be used for private development, as well as matching state and local funds to create local parks.

The plan to make funding permanent now has 227 House co-sponsors, including members of both political parties. That’s nine more than a House majority.

The blueprint was approved by the Senate in 2016, but has not been brought to a vote in the House. A Senate version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., last year and has 12 co-sponsors. To help push the cause, the League of Conservation Voters, which promotes environmental protection, plans to spend $1 million for digital and online ad campaigns targeting Republicans who have not yet signed on to the bill. The first round of targets are Reps. Mimi Walters, R-Calif.; Steve Knight, R-Calif.; Vern Buchanan, R-Fla.; and Keith Rothfus, R-Pa. All are regarded as vulnerable this fall. “These are people who are out of step with the rest of their district on the environment,” said Alex Taurel, the League’s deputy legislative director.

The group plans to add more names to the list before September.

Chris Jusuf, Knight’s spokesman, told McClatchy that his boss became a co-sponsor on the permanent funding bill this week. Knight voted against a non-binding resolution to make the fund permanent in 2016.

AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Ryan favors the plan but did not comment about making the formula permanent.

“As an avid hunter and angler, Speaker Ryan believes the (fund should continue) to ensure current and future public lands are in fact accessible to the public,” Strong said. “We have confidence that the diverse interests share that goal and will work cooperatively toward a solution.”