GREEN GRANTS GET HOUSE OK

The Cape Central High swimming pool was made pool was made possible in party by a $200,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant in 1980.

A federal funding program that helps communities purchase park land and develop recreational facilities passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

The lawmakers voted 213-202 to spend $30 million next year from the land and water conservation fund for grants to all 50 states. Under the program, states receiving the federal grants must provide an equal amount of money.

The federal government collects $900 million annually from offshore-oil and gas-drilling leases. Legislation calls for 60 percent of the money to be used for state grants and the remainder for federal land acquisition.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, voted against the measure, citing concerns about private-property rights. While Emerson said she doesn't oppose new local and state parks, she doesn't want any more land acquired by the federal government.

The federal government owns 29 percent of the nation's land. Emerson said she would support a proposal that involves no net loss in private property.

The legislation has yet to be considered in the Senate. Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Missouri, is a co-sponsor of the proposal in the Senate.

"This is not meant to be land-grabbing legislation," said Cheryl Riley of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

The measure would potentially bring some $17 million to Missouri. The Department of Natural Resources would administer land and water conservation funds, and the Missouri Department of Conservation would administer wildlife related funds. Money from both funds would be available to local communities in the form of grants.

The idea isn't new. In fact, land and water conservation grants have been a mainstay of park and recreation funding in Missouri for years.

In the 30 or so years the program operated, states received billions of dollars for park projects. Cape Girardeau County, for example, received over $1 million in park money, including money for a number of projects in Cape Girardeau.

The fund has not distributed money to the states since 1994.

Dan Muser, Cape Girardeau parks superintendent, hopes the legislation will be approved so that more money is available to communities.

"This does involve matching funds," Muser explained. "To use the funds, you would have to have some funds allocated by the city."

Previously, the money was used for park acquisition and recreation facilities like playground equipment, shelters, swimming pools, community centers and tennis courts.

"In the past, money was routinely available," Muser said. "When that funding dried up, communities had to look for other sources of revenue like sales taxes or bond issues. Some communities just did without."

In addition to bringing back grants for parks and recreation projects, the legislation would make money available for wildlife conservation and education.

Cape Girardeau County's joint project with the Missouri Department of Conservation for a nature center would be among potential recipients of this money.

In addition, money could be used for wildlife education and conservation projects like boardwalks or wildlife viewing areas, said Janeen Laatsch, regional natural-history biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

"We need to look at our priorities for the future," Laatsch said. "If we don't, down the road we'll be saying I wish we had more space and I wish we would have saved these animals.

"As we get more and more urbanized, we have to plan for natural areas and parks and develop those places now."

The proposal would also make money available to protect plants and animals. Riley said money is available for game species like deer and turkey from fees and taxes hunters and anglers pay. The federal government has money available to help protect endangered species.

"But there is no funding for species in the middle: song birds and butterflies and toads and frogs," Riley said. "Many are real important to the ecosystem, and we want to protect them from becoming endangered."

Laatsch said projects can be

(set in place to protect habitat and species, but those projects require money.

"It can be very expensive to change a fescue field, which isn't really good habitat for anything, to a field with good habitat for non-game and game species," she said.

In addition, research to protect species is expensive and could be funded with the money, Laatsch said.

"It's very expensive to study what makes a healthy ecosystem," she said. "But I think long-term conservation success is what we want."

The legislation passed by the House was contained in House bill 2466.)

LAND & WATER CONSERVATION FUND GRANTS

APRIL 1975

$12,350, Cape Girardeau County Park Development

DECEMBER 1976

Cape Girardeau Twin Trees Park Acquisition

DECEMBER 1980

$200,000, Cape Girardeau Swimming Pool

DECEMBER 1980

$28,250, Cape Girardeau County Farm Park Development

SEPTEMBER 1984

$50,000, Cape Girardeau Riverfront Development

DECEMBER 1986

$77,170, Cape Girardeau Riverfront Park