DATE: Tuesday, September 16, 1997           TAG: 9709160015

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Opinion 

SOURCE: BY KEVIN KNOBLOCH 

                                            LENGTH:   83 lines

THE LITTLE-KNOWN PROGRAM THAT COULD

Most people in Virginia and around the country don't know about the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and who can blame them. More government alphabet soup, right up there with OSHA, REA and OREPSC (Office of Regional Economic Policy and Summit Coordination, for those of you scoring at home).

But most Americans have enjoyed the fruits of LWCF, even though for the past 16 years Congress has willfully neglected to allocated most of the fund for its intended purpose: to provide important public land and facilities for recreations.

This summer millions of Americans hiked past magnificent scenery at national parks and historic sites, bikes along seaside and lakeside trails, picnicked and played ball at local parks, and splashed in public pools - all funded by the LWCF.

In fact, few Americans aiming to have a good time this summer did not benefit from the LWCF. Since its inception in 1964, the LWCF's matching funds program has helped states pay for over 37,000 recreational and open-space projects, nationally, and over 300 in Virginia. On the federal side, the LWCF regularly purchases ecologically-valuable lands of immense beauty and recreational appeal. This has included large investments in the Great Dismal Swamp, the Appalachian Trail, and the James River and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuges.

What's more, the LWCF doesn't grab one taxpayer dime. With stunning common sense (for Washington, D.C., that is) LWCF money comes entirely from annual royalties collected from offshore oil and gas leases. It's a good, old-fashioned swap: take from one natural resource, give to another.

Perhaps, however, the LWCF makes too much sense (for Congress, that is). In recent years over two-thirds of the fund's annual $900 million revenue stream has been diverted away from its promised destination and spit down the deficit hole. And this year, once more, its fate hangs in the balance. The House Appropriations Committee earmarked only $220 million for LWCF federal purchases and zero dollars, absolutely nothing, for the state portion of the program. The Senate was far more generous, appropriating $866 million. The final result will be hashed out in conference committee in the coming weeks.

If Congress continues to shortchange the LWCF, we're all the poorer. Around the nation, hundreds of recreational and greenspace projects are ready to proceed, pending LWCF funds. Hiking trails, riverwalks, bike paths, playgrounds, pools, improvements to aging zoos. In Virginia, this would mean money for regional parks in Brambleton and Algonkian, as well as for conservation along the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers.

Such projects improve the quality of life in neighborhoods, towns, and cities by protecting open space in the face of unrelenting development, congestion, and sprawl. They provide recreational opportunities for all hard-working Americans, especially those who cannot afford frequent vacations or country club memberships. Other LWCF initiatives, such as the planned purchase of threatened land around the Gettysburg National Battlefield, are vital steps in preserving our national heritage.

Simply, put, LWCF projects are the good stuff everyone wants in their community. They are the everyday, special places we take too much for granted.

Fortunately, momentum is growing in Congress and in statehouses to restore the LWCF to full finding. Thirty senators from both parties, including both Senators Robb and Warner, signed as pro-LWCF letter. On the House side, Rep. James Moran, D-8th, is one of the 30 members of Congress who will very soon decide the LWCF's fate in conference committee. Moran and Rep. Tom Davis, R-11th, also serve on subcommittees overseeing the District of Columbia, where long-delayed and badly-needed park and pool renovations await LWCF money.

The LWCF has proved itself. Indeed, many of its stateside projects are crucial components of communities, such as Ocean View Beach Park in Norfolk, the Rosslyn Bicycle Bridge in Arlington, the Roanoke Sports Complex and Greenbrier Park in Chesapeake. Some LWCF projects are higher profile and heavily visited by tourists. Among these are the Spottsylvania and Fredricksburg National Battlefields, as well as the boardwalks at Myrtle Beach and the International Children's Park in Seattle.

Despite its awkward acronym for a name, the LWCF has left an impressive legacy in Virginia and in nearly every city and county in the nation. It works - in other words, it helps bring the good life to American life - and it pays for itself.

For those reasons alone, the LWCF deserves a fair shake from Congress, not another fiscal shakedown.

MEMO: Kevin Knoblock is conservation director of the Appalachian

Mountain Club in Boston, Mass. The AMC is a 74,000-member organization

devoted to the protection, enjoyment and wise use of mountains, rivers

and trails. KEYWORDS: ANOTHER VIEW

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