U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

July 29, 2005

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Press Secretary

                        202-228-3630

Jen Clanahan – Deputy Press Secretary

                        303-455-7600

 

UPDATE: SEN. SALAZAR WINS SEVERAL KEY PROVISIONS IN INTERIOR APPROPS CONFERENCE REPORT; $1.5B FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE INCLUDED

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar announced that the Interior Appropriations bill passed by the Senate today featured the results of his successful fight to include $30M for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) stateside grant program, a program eliminated in the President’s budget proposal and a $36M increase in funding over the President’s request to the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, bringing PILT’s total funding to $236M.

Also included in the bill is an extra $1.5 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans’ medical services in FY2005. This $1.5 billion will be used to accommodate a surprise funding shortfall disclosed in June of this year by the Department, which had temporarily borrowed from construction funds as well as next year’s budget to fill the gap.

“This legislation accomplishes many goals, the most important being living up to our commitment to provide the world’s finest health care to our Nation’s 26.5 million heroes, including the 433,000 living in Colorado,” Sen. Salazar said. “Colorado is also going to receive more in PILT funding to bolster our states rural schools and roads, as well as nearly $5 million for conserving our natural heritage.”

Senator Salazar’s other appropriations requests included in the Conference report and totaling $3.7M are:

  • $1.5M to conserve a portion of the Banded Peak Ranch in Archuleta County;
  • $500K for upgrades to the Englewood/Littleton bi-City Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet current federal/state water quality requirements;
  • $500K to continue county-wide improvements in Jefferson County to the stormwater collection system and to comply with EPA requirements;
  • $700K for the Upper Colorado River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Project, which helps protect and rebuild the habitat and populations of four endangered fish species in the Colorado River;
  • $500K to acquire the final 650 acres within the High Elk Corridor for the Trust for Public Land High Elk project in San Juan County, completing the resource protection effort.

The Conference Report to the Interior Appropriations bill, H.R. 2361, was reported by the Conference Committee on Tuesday and approved by the Senate today by a vote of 99 to 1. Having been approved by both the House and Senate, H.R. 2361, will now continue onto the President for signature into law or veto.

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