U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

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

 

 

For Immediate Release

August 1, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


  Sen. Salazar Secures Commitment for America’s ‘Precious Natural Resources’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Senate wrapped up debate on the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (S.3711) today, United States Senator Ken Salazar secured a commitment to appropriate $100 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This funding would be added to funds already put in the offshore drilling legislation by Senators Salazar and Alexander (R-TN) that directs 12.5 percent of offshore drilling revenues to the LWCF.

The commitment came in a colloquy between Senator Salazar, the Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), and the Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s Energy Subcommittee, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in a colloquy. The complete text of that colloquy can be accessed in the Congressional Record by clicking here.

“The LWCF supports the state and local parks and recreation projects that improve the quality of all Americans’ lives, and enables American families to enjoy our precious natural resource of open spaces,” said Senator Salazar. “While the offshore drilling bill falls short of all the funding we need, I am pleased to have the commitment of both Senator Alexander and Chairman Domenici to continue to fight for adequate funding in the upcoming Appropriations process.”

The LWCF was created by Congress in 1964 to purchase land, water and wetlands for the benefit of all Americans.

Senator Salazar emphasized that the additional appropriations would be necessary to ensure the viability of the stateside LWCF program, saying, “Only constant vigilance and steady support will ensure that the provision providing a permanent stream of funding for LWCF acts as it was intended – as a strong and growing core, but not the totality, of support for this vital program.”

Senator Salazar voted for the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act today. Yesterday he released a statement in qualified support of the bill, which can be accessed by clicking here.

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