| The following OpEd by U.S. Congressman Buddy Carter and Jeff Kupfer, president of ConservAmerica, appeared in the Savannah Morning News. When most Americans think of offshore oil and gas leasing, they think of Gulf of Mexico states such as Louisiana and Texas. But this industry has another face, one that is much closer to home for a lot of Americans: your community park. A federal program known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has channeled revenues from offshore oil and gas leasing to conservation projects nationwide, including national and state parks, historical sites, playgrounds, and recreational centers. The idea is simple: use revenues from the depletion of one natural resource - offshore oil and gas - to support the conservation of another precious resource - our land and water. Every year, $900 million in royalties paid by energy companies drilling for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf are put into this fund, and its impacts are seen from coast to coast. Unfortunately, this critical funding opportunity is at risk. The Department of Interior has failed to implement a five-year offshore leasing plan, not only threatening the ability of companies to conduct offshore resource exploration and development but also the existence of the entire LWCF. Without offshore leasing, these municipal investments would lose funding, jeopardizing the positive environmental and financial impact they bring to our community. During the more than five decades of the LWCF's existence, Georgia has received approximately $312 million for the protection of its lands and waters. This past year, Georgia received more than $7 million in critical funding. In order to show the wide breadth of projects supported by the LWCF – both in Georgia and around the country - ConservAmerica released a report detailing over 2,000 LWCF-funded projects, going back to 2016, by state and congressional district. It would be detrimental to the state of Georgia, to Georgia’s 1st congressional district, and to the country, if the LWCF ceased to exist. The program was reauthorized and received permanent funding in fiscal years 2019 and 2020, respectively. With permanent funding, it is anticipated that Georgia will receive $5 to 7 million annually. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and, most recently, Sansavilla Wildlife Management Area are some of the many places in the state that have benefited from this critical program. Two years ago, the 24,000 acres in Camden County made up one of the largest unprotected wildlands on the U.S. East Coast. Now a state-owned wildlife management area, the Ceylon Tracts is a natural treasure that the public will enjoy for generations to come receiving $7 million alone in 2021 to protect the area and the wildlife there. It’s not just state and national parks that benefit from this program, either. LWCF funding also provides financial support for community pools and parks, and recreation facilities, in addition to the funding that keeps state and national parks open and operating. The First District has also seen thousands of dollars of investment, like a $118,000 grant to the City of Brunswick Orange Park and $119,000 to Jesup to restore outdoor swimming facilities in the area. The beauty of the state of Georgia is something that has been appreciated for hundreds of years and we hope will continue to be appreciated for hundreds more. It is programs like this that will make this goal a reality. Environmental protection and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. As the days go by with no clear future for the LWCF, many parks across the nation are losing the precious funding that helps keep these community resources afloat. The LWCF supports the preservation of our country’s most cherished outdoor areas, and we are calling on the Department of Interior to move swiftly to implement a new 5-year offshore leasing program to protect the LWCF, and with it, the thousands of parks, pools, and recreational centers that allow us to enjoy the great outdoors in all its glory. This commentary was submitted on behalf of U.S. Congressman Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) and Jeff Kupfer, president of ConservAmerica, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for market-based solutions to the country's conservation and environmental challenges. Rep. Carter sits on both the House Budget and Energy and Commerce Committees. This OpEd appeared in the Savannah Morning News on July 14, 2023. |
