skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum; 80% of Montanans oppose reduced workers' rights; Lawmaker says dismantling Education Dept. would harm Oregon schools; Harm reduction efforts fall short for Black men in Indiana.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President Donald Trump approves 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Democrats who oppose dismantling the agency have been denied access to the Department of Education. And some places buck policy trends on sex education and immigration.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

Public-Lands Bill Would Send Millions of Dollars to CA Parks

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 21, 2019   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – If you've ever fished off a pier, swum in a public pool, played ball on a local field or hiked in a state park, you've likely benefited from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

That program could be permanently reauthorized next week as part of a massive public-lands package before the U.S. House.

The Natural Resources Management Act would expand Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks, add new off-road vehicle recreation areas in San Bernardino County, and add 80 miles of wild and scenic rivers, plus 700,000 acres of land to conservation and recreation areas across California.

J.R. Young, a California representative and board member of the group Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, says the fund has touched every corner of the state since its inception in 1964.

"There's not a county in California that has not benefited from a Land and Water Conservation project. The list is massive," Young says. "It's just one of those critical core funding components that unfortunately, not a lot of people know about."

Over the years, the fund has directed $2.4 billion to projects up and down the state, from Humboldt Redwoods State Park to the Lake Merritt bicycle path in Oakland, to a sports complex in Merced County, to Embarcadero Pier in San Diego.

The fund uses no taxpayer dollars, only revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters.

Maite Arce, president and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, says the thousands of local parks helped by the LWCF dollars are especially important to urban low-income communities. So, she thinks it is important to fully fund the program going forward.

"It's only been fully funded at its annual $900 million cap twice in 54 years," Arce explains. "So, on average, Congress authorizes Land and Water Conservation Fund to receive only about 46 percent of its allowed amount."

Its backers say the public-lands package also would greatly benefit California's $92 billion outdoor recreation industry. It passed the Senate last week by an overwhelming margin of 92 to 8.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
While states such as North Dakota stand to lose roughly $3 million in medical research funding cuts under a Trump administration budget cutting move, neighbors like Minnesota could lose a lot more, with an analysis projecting more than $117 in funding losses. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration over its budget-cutting plans targeting medical research led by colleges and universities…


Environment

play sound

Connecticut groups are rallying today against a natural gas pipeline expansion. Project Maple would extend Enbridge's natural-gas pipeline …

Social Issues

play sound

In rural Mississippi, where education disparities run deep, community leaders are stepping up to fill the gaps left by limited resources and …


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission emphasized the need for thorough safety evaluations and regulatory approvals before the Palisades plant in Michigan can be safely restarted. (Holtec International)

Environment

play sound

Environmental groups are raising alarms as the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township moves closer to becoming the first decommissioned nuclear pl…

play sound

A January survey of Montanans showed a large majority support workers' rights, even as several bills that could affect them move through the state …

Social Issues

play sound

A recent online survey revealed strong opposition among Tennessee voters toward expansion of the state's private-school voucher program. More than 50…

Social Issues

play sound

A northwest Texas family is waiting to hear from agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a recent traffic stop. Jose is in the country …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021