Investing in our communities

Members of the National Association of Counties gathered in Charlotte this past week. From Florida to Minnesota and North Carolina to Colorado the broad sweep of the nation was represented.  Like county commissioners across the nation, we are accountable for overseeing efficient and responsive county governments on lean budgets. Our respective counties and states differ in many ways, but we have some things in common. North Carolina has Mt. Mitchell, the highest mountain east of the Mississippi, while Colorado is renowned for its “fourteeners” (mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation). 

These and other natural wonders in our states draw millions of visitors and billions of dollars every year. The Outdoor Industry Association reports that active outdoor recreation in places like the Blue Ridge Parkway, Nantahala National Forest, Pisgah National Forest and Charlotte’s own Reedy Creek Park generate $19.2 billion annually in consumer spending in North Carolina, supporting 192,000 jobs across the state which in turn generate $5.6 billion in wages and salaries and produce $1.3 billion annually in state and local tax revenue.

{mosads}Likewise, in Colorado, Outdoor Industry Association reports that active outdoor recreation generates $13.2 billion in consumer spending, supporting 125,000 jobs that generate $4.2 billion in wages and salaries, and producing $994 million annually in state and local tax revenue. 

Nationally, the outdoor industry generates $646 billion annually in direct consumer spending, while contributing $80 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes and supporting more than six million American jobs. This is real money and local jobs, and much of this recreation-related economic activity is spurred by access to national and local public lands. Our economy depends on maintaining access to these public lands for hunting, fishing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, and other activities. It also requires taking steps complete unfinished national forests and protect state parks, including those with critical wildlife habitat or a connection to our American history, from development.

One of the primary tools for protecting our national and local public lands is the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is a relatively little-known federal program created with bipartisan support 50 years ago, and it has a solid track record for local communities and all Americans. 

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is based on the simple idea that when we drill offshore, we should protect our natural resources onshore. Rather than using taxpayer money, the Land and Water Conservation Fund protects public lands with a small portion of the billions of dollars in annual oil and gas royalty fees paid by private companies drilling offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. It does not add to our nation’s debt. It does not burden our communities. 

In fact – the Land and Water Conservation Fund is a county commissioner’s best friend. The program provides matching grants that enable state and local governments to build new parks, trails and ballfields (like the Four Mile Creek Greenway here in Mecklenburg County), restore wetlands and wildlife habitat, and ensure a high quality of life for our residents. Over the last 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been used in 41,000 recreation projects – at least one in every single county in the nation.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund also enhances acquisition of lands to facilitate fire protection, which is a major concern in heavily wooded and increasingly urbanized jurisdictions such as Clear Creek County, and helps protect natural watersheds, which in turn helps ensure clean, dependable drinking water for our constituents. 

Local jobs … access to outdoor recreation … fire and watershed protection … the Land and Water Conservation Fund is truly a cost-effective investment in our future. If only we could count on it. The Fund’s authorization expires September 30 and the Congress hasn’t yet reauthorized and fully funded the program.  

Fortunately, our states share more than just tall mountains: in true bipartisan fashion, our U.S. Senators are collaborating to protect the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Sens. Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina and Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R) of Colorado are all champions of the program. We urge our fellow county commissioners and elected officials at all levels of government to speak up for the Land and Water Conservation Fund so that that it can continue to support local jobs and protect our country’s natural beauty and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Mauck is commissioner of Clear Creek County, Colorado. Clarke is commissioner of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.