NASORLO LWCF Advocacy Tool Kit Update 10-15-20
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! To ensure LWCF and GOMESA funding remains robust for the state and local outdoor recreation grant programs.
The following are materials to be used to support the State Assistance Program of the LWCF’s ongoing funding for FY 21 and beyond You will find information in these materials needed to write letters of support, send emails, personal contacts or other opportunities to inform your Congressional delegation, their staff and Congressional leadership before and during the current Congressional session in support of the state program.
**** Background information on full and permanent funding…
The legislation to fully and permanently fund LWCF called the Great American Outdoors Act, was signed into law by President Trump on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. A great day for outdoor recreation and parks. That was NASORLO’s # 1 Priority, but we still have three major issues at this point to work on until the end of this Congress. 1. Temporary adjustments to the appropriations of LWCF state assistance to allow a lower match and a long obligation time, due to the fiscal impacts on state and local government by the pandemic. 2. Efficiency improvements in the administration of LWCF at the state level, which might involve legislative fixes. 3. Ongoing, and long term, concern the Administration or Congress will change either the 40% state share or the allocations of the percentages of full funding, which would reduce or impact the state outdoor recreation grant program of LWCF. Materials in the Tool Kit will provide you with the resources, reports and materials necessary to be the strongest advocates for state grants.
WHY IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO BE ADVOCATES, ISN’T THIS A GUARANTEE FOR FUNDING STATE GRANTS ?
We believe that, although permanent LWCF re-authorization was passed at a $ 900 mandatory level with a 40% state share, there are some efforts to undermine that requirement. The use of GOMESA to calculate the 40% share will diminish the anticipated state grants allocations of $ 360 million dollars, plus the interpretation of non outdoor recreation programs in the LWCF suite of ” state programs ” also could have the effect of holding down the anticipated higher level funding for the program. ( For example, with full funding 900 million, plus an estimated full GOMESA of 125 million, the state grants target of 40% that total should be $ 485 million. )
Recently the House calculated the state share in their FY 21 Budget proposal like this…. ( Note GOMESA was estimated to be at $ 117,171,000.. which was full funding of $ 125 million, minus the mandatory set asides ). The total state grant recommendation was for $ 412, 171,000 ( not the possible $ 485 million ). That number included recommendations for NPS Admin of $ 10 million, ORLP funded at $ 100 million, GOMESA estimate of $ 117,171,000 and formula grants for$ 185 million. There is no Senate action or budget action at this time, but if the House version prevails, the total would be $ 412,017,000, or 40.5 % of the total LWCF, including adding GOMESA.
Note that if the House Appropriations had interpreted the 40% and funded the distributions as we had recommended, state grants would have totaled $ 477,017,000. ( NPS Admin. $ 10 million, ORLP $ 25 million, and $ 442,017,000 for formulary state and territorial grants ), or $ 65 million dollars greater than the FY 21 House recommendation.
These numbers can change in the Senate. For example, the GOMESA estimate might be lower, by as much as $ 40 million due to the drop in oil leases. ORLP might be adjusted. But our goal is a full 40% of the total LWCF. And the attached draft letters to the Senate Appropriations and Leadership will reflect that objective.
The attached materials lay out the position of NASORLO toward that end.
We are asking you to draft letters you might get your Governor, Director or your SLO, which supports a higher level of funding for state LWCF in the Senate, including a required 40% of the total LWCF. You may take key elements from these letters, attach them for reference, or write your own if you do not want to be that specific,. But please take the time to write something, or make a call to your elected officials. I have also included some materials you may wish to review or include with your letter. THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW…So here are the some materials for you. Please review, print them out and use them to act on behalf of your state, as you see fit.
Here is a draft letter to House and Senate supporting robust funding in FY 20 for state outdoor recreation grants within LWCF and adjustments to address the pandemic impact on state and local revenues, plus an optional attachment on the request.
LWCF Temp Changes Sample Letter to Leadership from State-Local sources 10-15-20
Optional or additional attachment on changes and economic stimulus needed. LWCF Economic Stimulus 2020 5-21-20edit
Previous letters sent by NASORLO and the most recent NASORLO Resolution
LettersDOILeadership5-21-20signed.
2020 Resolution Revision Signed
Other information –
All LWCF projects by state, listed through 2019, for your use.. Here are tips to use it… as it is a large data base. We have not yet figured out how to manipulate it by State, County, etc.. raw data for your use. Attached is the database that NASORLO has been working on for years. We recently added the 2019 projects with over 42,500 records.
- “Sheet 1” is a pivot table: make sure filter in both boxes are unchecked. When you click on your state in the upper left box, it will auto update with # projects, total $ and a list of all state projects.
- You can also select a County in the second box and the summary and list will auto update.
- You can edit existing entries or add new ones in the raw data on Sheet labeled “Overview and Source”.
- Not sure how to create table from what is selected.
LWCF Grants by State March 2020 (3)
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Previous materials for research and documentation purposes
NASORLO Testimony on Full and Dedicated Funding for LWCF , 6- 25 -19
Below is the language in recent May 21, 2019 NGA letter to Congress about their support for state outdoor recreation assistance under LWCF for FY 20..
- Full Funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Stateside Assistance: Governors commend Congress’ recent leadership to permanently reauthorize the LWCF program and provide a minimum of 40% to LWCF stateside assistance. We urge Congress to fully fund the program. States, for our part, will be proud to continue matching the LWCF Stateside Assistance program dollar-for-dollar and investing in state park, conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives.
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In addition, I have included materials available from NRPA to assist you in contacting your elected officials.. Go To
https://www.nrpa.org/our-work/advocacy/Park-Champions/park-champion-advocacy-toolkit/
Here are additional materials to review
New Hamshire LWCF State and Local Assistance Program Handout ( example of materials to distribute )
LWCF info for Governor NH NOV 2019 (BG)
Top Ten Facts LWCF and GOMESA Revision
NON FEDERAL MATCHING OPTIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL PROJECTS
Here is a report from the Outdoor Industries Association in 2017 about ways to find options for funding outdoor recreation projects .. Lots of good information.
