Download Document - The Wilderness Society

commitment to conservation was outstanding.”
“There’s a constant scramble to find the
money—and find it fast enough—to protect
places like Cape Cod National Seashore,” says
Alan Rowsome, director of conservation funding
for The Wilderness Society. Congress has
rarely allowed the full amount of the royalties
flowing into the LWCF account to be invested
as intended, instead diverting the money to
other programs. In today’s economy, the situation
is even worse. LWCF appropriations for
Fiscal Year 2011 were just $301 million, a 37
percent drop from the previous year. The level
for FY12 was not known at press time but could
well be lower still.
“We’re betraying a legacy of the Teddy
Roosevelts of this country, and their recognition
of what the wilderness and the connection
to the Earth mean in human terms,” says
Delahunt. “It’s going to require a different type
of Tea Party to understand the meaning of our
Waiting, waiting, still waiting…
Many places around the country have
benefitted from purchases made possible by
the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Below
are four high-priority and threatened properties
that have been waiting for LWCF funding, in
some cases for several years.
Simpsonwood property,
Chattahoochee River
National Recreation Area,
Georgia: About three
million people a year enjoy
this national recreation
area near Atlanta, which
provides an important green
corridor for recreation and
protection of the river in a
fast-growing metro area.
The 226-acre conference
center and retreat has
2,100 feet of riverfront and,
if bought by a developer,
could be developed into
250 home sites. A National
Park Service purchase
would protect local drinking
water quality while opening
the site to the public for
walking, biking, horseback
riding, and other uses.
www.wilderness.org
Ramirez Canyon, Santa
Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area, California:
Ramirez Canyon is a
6.16-acre inholding in the
Santa Monica Mountains
NRA, just northwest of Los
Angeles. A trail connecting
it to other areas takes you
through shady oak and
sycamore woods, home to
quail, mule deer, and gray
foxes. Despite its lushness,
the area features a delicate
ecosystem that the state
has recommended for
protection. It’s also prime
L.A. real estate, and a
developer has drawn up a
proposal for subdivision.
heritage. People like Steve Currier, working with
public entities—they are extraordinary people,
and what they are doing is so American.”
Rowsome and The Wilderness Society are
leaders in the LWCF Coalition, which is fighting
to pass a bill (S. 1265) that would permanently
fund LWCF at its authorized level. He
says that despite the budget battles, LWCF
Crooked River Canyon,
Crooked Wild and Scenic
River Watershed, Oregon:
White-water enthusiasts
travel long distances for
the chance to experience
the rapids and incredible
scenery of the Crooked
River, which rushes through
central Oregon’s high desert.
Development around the
101 acres for sale has limited
public access to this stretch
of river, and acquisition
of this property would
greatly enhance recreation
opportunities.
Continued on page 62
Steve Currier, shown
with his mother
Evelyn, remained
patient so that an
agreement could be
worked out with the
National Park Service.
Georgia’s Chattahoochee River offers first-rate recreation.
© Flickr/Capt Kodak
Wolf Island, Stony Point,
Kremer Lake, and Fall Lake,
Superior and Chippewa
national forests, Minnesota:
The 139 acres in these
three properties are part
of a 12,000-mile system
of canoe trails that follow
the paths that Native
Americans and French
Canadian fur traders took
centuries ago. The purchase
would protect access to
some of the Northwoods’
beautiful and secluded
lakes throughout the year.
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