Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask]
======================================================

 In case you missed it in the Daily, the huge CARA land acquisition bill
will
 be on the House floor on Wed.  You may get press calls.  Check Friday's
 Daily, and read on for the 30-second message and a longer factsheet.  If
we
 can fix this bill, we can get a big chunk of change for YOU to buy YOUR
 special places!  We are phonebanking basically everywhere.  Dana
 202-675-6690, Melinda 202-675-7912 and I 675-6273 are working on it.

 ******  Standing-on-one-foot-message:   ***********

 The Sierra Club cannot support CARA (HR 701) in its current form because
it
 contains environmentally damaging provisions.  Fortunately, a bipartisan
 group of representatives will offer amendments when the bill comes to the
 House floor on Wednesday which will significantly improve the bill.

 H.R. 701 contains incentives that could increase off-shore oil drilling
and
 it would fund destructive coastal development projects. The
Boehlert-Markey
 amendments will address many of the problematic provisions in the bill.


 **********    FACTSHEET    ****************

 Support the Boehlert/Markey/Pallone Amendments - Fix CARA Before Moving it

 Forward

 The "Conservation and Reinvestment Act," or "CARA" (H.R. 701), represents
a
 historic opportunity for America to invest in our natural legacy.  But
 significant improvements are needed as the bill moves forward if it is to
be
 considered a true win for the environment.

 CARA would guarantee that up to $2.8 billion a year from offshore oil and
gas
 revenues would be spent on an array of valuable conservation programs,
 including $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), up
to
 $1 billion for ocean and coastal restoration, and $350 million for
wildlife
 conservation and restoration.

 But CARA has a significant downside as well.  In its current form, the
bill
 could actually end up harming our fragile coastlines and hindering the
 effectiveness of the LWCF.  Amendments offered by Reps. Sherwood Boehlert
 (R-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) would substantially
 address CARA's flaws.

 CARA'S SHORTFALLS:

 ·      In Title I, creates a new "coastal impact assistance" fund that
 allocates funding based on coastal states' proximity to offshore oil
drilling
 in the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  Results in an incentive for

 states not covered by the offshore drilling moratorium to pursue new OCS
 leasing in hopes of getting a greater share of the impact assistance fund.

 ·      Requires 50% of impact assistance funding to be "passed through"
 directly to local communities, creating further incentive for local
 communities, who have long been the strongest opponents of damaging
offshore
 drilling, to withdraw opposition in hopes of receiving greater funding
 allocations.

 ·      Allows any amount of "impact assistance" money to be spent on
 environmentally damaging infrastructure projects, like highways and
 deep-water ports.

 ·      In Title II, guarantees that $450 million is set aside each year
for
 federal-side LWCF, but removes the Administration's authority to spend the

 money on specific projects if Congress does not allocate all the money
made
 available.

 HOW THE BOEHLERT/MARKEY/PALLONE AMENDMENT PACKAGE COULD FIX CARA:

 ·      Reduces the Title I $1 billion coastal impact fund to $900 million
and
 redistributes it more equitably, allowing more states to benefit from the
 bill.

 ·      Locks in the Title I impact assistance funding allocation formula,
 basing it strictly on leasing levels as of date of enactment, thus
 eliminating the incentive for states to pursue new OCS oil and gas
leasing.

 ·      Eliminates the "pass through" to local communities and thus the
 incentive for local communities to accept new leasing.  Requires Governors
to
 consult with local coastal communities and allows states to share "impact
 assistance" with those communities.

 ·      Clarifies that impact assistance funding must be used on ocean and
 coastal restoration, and allows states with OCS activity to use ONLY 10%
of
 impact funding on infrastructure projects.

 ·      In Title II, allows the Administration to spend federal LWCF money
if
 Congress fails to allocate the amount made available, but only once
Congress
 has the opportunity to review specific LWCF projects.

 ·      Takes $100 million from the Title I impact assistance fund and sets
up
 a new competitive grant program to provide funding for land acquisition
and
 easements to protect non-federal lands of regional or national interest,
 particularly in states that are historically shortchanged under the LWCF.

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