Coalition Statement to House Resources Committee on CARA Bill Scheduled for Markup November 10

American Oceans Campaign * Center for Marine
Conservation * Defenders of Wildlife * Environmental Defense
Fund * Friends of the Earth * National Environmental
Trust * National Parks and Conservation Association * National
Wildlife Federation * Natural Resources Defense Council
Scenic America * Sierra Club * U.S. Public Interest Research
Group * World Wildlife Fund

We greatly appreciate the bipartisan and dedicated effort that has produced the revised Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) and are pleased that improvements have been made to the legislation. CARA includes landmark levels of funding for many critical conservation needs.

Unfortunately, the bill still has serious problems which must be corrected, including the following. Title I invites environmental harm by providing major incentives for new offshore drilling in sensitive frontier areas and allows states to use federal funds for environmentally damaging activities. Title II leaves funding for federal LWCF subject to the functional equivalent of the yearly appropriations process that has left it critically underfunded for the past 20 years. And Title III fails to provide for a strategic planning process and does not direct the funds towards non-game and other species that have historically suffered from inadequate funding.

We hope these concerns can be corrected so that we can support the bill. We look forward to working with the leaders on the bill, other Members of Congress, and the President to address these concerns as the bill moves through the legislative process.

B-roll of land legacy areas is available -- Call 202-789-2844 x 220

CONTACTS:

Center for Marine Conservation: David Dickson / Vicki Paris, 202-429- 5609

Defenders of Wildlife: Mary Beth Beetham / Joan Moody, 202-682-9400

Environmental Defense Fund: Elizabeth Thompson, 202-387-3500

National Parks & Conservation Assn: Kevin Collins / Jerome Uher, 202-223-6722

National Wildlife Federation: Sara Barth / Ben McNitt, 202-797-6666

Natural Resources Defense Council: Lisa Speer / Elliott Negin, 212-727-4426

Scenic America: Claudia Tejada, 202-543-6200

Sierra Club: Melinda Pierce / Allen Mattison, 202-675-7912

U.S. Public Interest Research Group: Kim Delfino / Liz Hitchcock, 202-546-9707

Contact(s):