Norton pushes tribal conservation fund

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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MAY 4, 2001

Democratic criticism of the Bush administration's environmental proposals isn't stopping Secretary of Interior Gale Norton from pushing them, and on Thursday she touted her department's tribal commitment in the form of a conservation fund.

For the first time, said Norton, tribes will be able to tap into the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) directly instead of going through states. A total of $10 million in grants awaits Indian Country in fiscal year 2002 should Congress approve the budget, said Norton.

In total, the fund is being allocated $900 million by the Bush administration, the maximum authorized by law. Of that amount, $450 million is in the form of grants to tribes and states.

The funding has been welcomed by environmentalists and lawmakers as an improvement over previous administrations. But some openly question Norton's justification of the fund as allowing the government to fulfill its obligations while cutting endangered species and other programs.

"The Land and Water Conservation Fund cannot be used as is sought by this administration for everything they want done that deals with the environment," said Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. "It won't work. There isn't enough money there."

"Its basically robbing Peter to pay Paul," added Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont).

In Congressional hearings, Norton has defended the fund's proposed use. She says it will allow states and tribes to come up with "creative" solutions to environmental problems while saving the federal government money.

Such an approach, she said, "is great for the environment in the long run."

In what seemed like a direct response to the criticism, Norton last week unveiled a new department web site pushing the fund. But while the site was launched just two days after Reid's committee hit Norton on a number of issues, Interior officials said it had been in the works for weeks.

Ar first, the site only included grant information for states. An Interior spokesperson said the exclusion of Indian Country was not purposeful, however, and said the department was working on adding tribal-specific information, finally debuting it yesterday.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was created by Congress in 1964. Its primary purpose is to provide money to federal, state and local governments for the purchase land, water and wetlands.

The Bush administration seeks to extend the fund's "traditional" purpose by allowing tribes and states to use it for conservation of endangered and threatened species and for protection of wetlands and habitats for migratory birds and other species.

Relevant Links:
The Land and Water Conservation Fund, US Fish and Wildlife - http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/LWCF
Norton's Land and Water Conservation Fund - http://www.doi.gov/news/states
Senate Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations - http://www.senate.gov/~appropriations/interior/index.htm