Protect Existing Resources and S. 3422 - Great American Outdoors Act
A Message from Doug Levy, WRPA Lobbyist
Protect Existing Resources Template and Questions – Would LOVE Local Parks info/illustrations – See COB June 12 timeline
For this item, please review the Protecting Existing Resources Template and questions. I’m chairing – for an Outdoor Recreation Funding Roundtable spearheaded by State Rep. Cindy Ryu (D-Shoreline/32nd Dist.) – a ‘Protect Existing Resources’ subcommittee that will assist Rep. Ryu and other participating legislators in understanding the magnitude of the COVID-19 impacts on the outdoor recreation sector, and hopefully provide these legislators with tools and data to protect against damaging cutbacks and reductions in 2020 Special Session and/or 2021 Regular Session deliberations on the state budgets.
It would help all of us in local parks to be an integral part of the “Protect Existing Resources” issue paper that will be produced for Rep. Ryu’s Outdoor Recreation Funding Roundtable. Your help in providing answers, details, specific examples, etc., would be tremendously appreciated. Note COB June 12 timeline if at all possible.
Act now to support S. 3422 – Great American Outdoors Act – Letters, emails, calls this week would be most helpful!
Please see information below, and GAO Act-Economic Benefits, the GAO Factsheet, and the WA LWCF fact sheet, from Joanna Grist of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition, with respect to S. 3422. As Joanna describes below, this bill is a watershed moment for those of us who strongly support the LWCF and the difference-making value it has for local parks agencies in Washington!
Joanna’s most recent note indicates there could be a vote as early as next Monday or Tuesday night (June 8, June 9) on S. 3422, which would permanently double the size of the LWCF, fund construction-ready jobs, and more. See Joanna’s note below urging that we all contact US Senators Murray and Cantwell to thank them for their ongoing leadership on LWCF and co-sponsorship of S. 3422 and urge their help in advancing this important legislation. She also suggests emails to Members of the Washington Congressional Delegation on the U.S. House side to signal support. Staff e-mails for all members are included.
Thank you in advance for any actions you can take on both of these items in a time-sensitive way!
A note from Joanna Grist, LWCF Coalition
I am writing to ask you to get an action alert out to WRPA members. As you may have heard, the US Senate is planning to vote on S. 3422 the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) next week. GAOA combines full and permanent funding for LWCF at $900M a year with funding for the maintenance backlog at our National Parks.
This is really big! LWCF funding would DOUBLE permanently. It's a historic, once in a generation piece of bipartisan legislation that will:
- fund shovel ready construction projects that create jobs
- provide parks and recreation close to home where they can provide solace to a nation in crisis
- stimulate our state's outdoor recreation economy
Please ask your Mayors, County Commissioners and Parks & Rec Commissioners to send letters or emails to our Senators and your member of Congress TODAY! We are so close but there are still a thousand ways this could go sideways. Our goal is a clean bill with NO amendments.
Message to US Senators
Thank you for being a longtime champion of LWCF and for cosponsoring S. 3422 the Great American Outdoors Act.
- Patty Murray - [email protected]
- Maria Cantwell - [email protected]
Message to US House Members
Please support S. 3422 the Great American Outdoors Act.
- Suzan Delbene (D-1) - [email protected]
- Rick Larsen (D-2) - [email protected]
- Jamie Herrera Buetler (R-3) - [email protected]
- Dan Newhouse (R-4) - [email protected]
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-5) - [email protected]
- Derek Kilmer (D-6) - [email protected]
- Pramila Jayapal (D-7) - [email protected]
- Kim Schrier (D-8) - [email protected]
- Adam Smith (D-9) - [email protected]
- Denny Heck (D-10) - [email protected]