The Nature Conservancy Highlights the Importance of Several Provisions of H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources Act of 2009

ARLINGTON, VA— September 17, 2009— In written testimony delivered today to the House Natural Resources Committee for its hearing on HR 3534, The Nature Conservancy strongly endorsed several provisions of the bill including:

Dedication of at least $900 million of existing offshore oil and gas revenues annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was established in 1965 for the purpose of purchasing land for Federal, state and local parks and providing recreational facilities.
Creation of an Ocean Resources Conservation and Assistance Fund, also using the increasing revenues from offshore energy development, to restore, protect and care for our estuaries, coastlines and near-shore waters.
A requirement that renewable and conventional oil and gas development on federal lands avoid the most sensitive lands and wildlife habitat and that any adverse effects that do occur as the result of energy development be fully offset by conserving other lands.
Establishing a rational process for the siting of renewable and conventional energy facilities offshore to do the least damage to the environment

The Conservancy has urged that similar planning provisions be added to the bill for onshore renewable energy sources.

Commenting on HR 3534, President and CEO Mark Tercek said:

“We are tremendously grateful to Chairman Rahall and to the members of the Natural Resources Committee for including these extremely important provisions in their legislation. Enactment of these provisions of this legislation would simply transform conservation in America:

It would, for the first time, provide reliable funding for land acquisition for Federal agencies and for a wide range of conservation activities in the states. This money could be the core of the kind of large scale natural area conservation and metropolitan green space initiative that Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has been advocating.
It would provide similar resources for the restoration and protection of our coasts and near-shore waters that are so imperiled by sea level rise, climate change and other threats.

“Moreover, this all is affordable because leasing of Federal lands and waters for energy production will continue to produce far more in revenue than is needed for these programs. If combined with tax policy and other initiatives being supported by the Conservancy, HR 3534 would be the foundation of much-needed efforts to protect whole watersheds and landscapes—the only conservation strategy likely to succeed over the long term in the face of the threats of climate change, a growing population, and infrastructure development.

“I would also like to congratulate Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko for their testimony on this bill, including their recognition of the need for additional funding for the conservation of terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitat.

“The Nature Conservancy looks forward to working with Chairman Rahall and the committee to advance this historic legislation.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.