Congress Stalls

It's not as though everybody is running scared, but Congress has just under two weeks to reauthorize millions of dollars in funding that traditionally preserves national monuments, maintains historical battlefield sites and acquires major parcels of public land for conservation.

But now it would appear that the Land and Water Conservation Fund, established in 1965, is being held up for political reasons in Congress. The mega fund whose revenues are tied to offshore drilling and gas lease royalties is based on the premise that if land and sea are to be drilled for its natural resources, then there should be some sort of mitigation to offset it through conservation practices.

If Congress fails to reauthorize the funding, it means that New Mexico stands to lose up to $14 million for the FY 2016, according to Javier Rojo, who works for the Albuquerque-based Center of Southwest Culture Inc., one of the many nonprofits pushing for the reauthorization.

He recently helped Santa Fe Commissioner Liz Stefanics draft a resolution that calls on Congress to ante up on the reauthorization—something commissioners passed last week. Similar county governments followed suit, Doña Ana and Bernalillo county commissions among them.

"Some of our prized parks are at stake," Rojo tells SFR on Thursday. "The state depends on these funds, and it's not just on a national level. It's on a very local level. The money helps build local ballfields, soccer fields, football fields, you name it. Look around you, and if you see a park, chances are it's somehow tied to this fund."

In all, nearly $261 million has gone to New Mexico since the fund was created, among the more notable recipients: Santa Fe National Monument, the Fort Marcy Recreational Complex, the Glorieta Pass Battlefield, San Lazaro Pueblo Archaeological Site, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Hyde Park Memorial State Park, the Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park and Petroglyph National Monument.

"Not only does this fund preserve places for all New Mexicans to enjoy, but it's also been responsible for creating thousands of jobs in construction, outdoor recreation and tourism," Rojo says.

Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, was fighting as early as August for the reauthorization.

"You don't have to look hard in New Mexico to see LWCF's impact," says Heinrich, referring to the fund's acronym in a press release. "Across our state, we can thank LWCF for protecting some of our most treasured public lands such as the Valles Caldera and the Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge, and many city parks. From coast to coast, LWCF has preserved our outdoor heritage and supported millions of jobs."

Michael B Casaus, New Mexico's state director for the Wilderness Society in Albuquerque, says, "Time is running out. We've only got 12 days to go."

He says the Sept. 30 deadline with be the second round of 25-year reauthorizations by Congress, the first coming in 1990.

"That's why the upcoming days are so important," Casaus says. "If we don't get the reauthorization, we could be stripped of important funds forever."

Santa Fe Reporter