August 21, 1999

PRESERVING AMERICA'S LANDS LEGACY (CA)

Press Release on the Environment (California Exerpt)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release August 21, 1999
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
PRESERVING AMERICA'S LANDS LEGACY

August 21, 1999

Today, in his weekly radio address, President Clinton announced new protections for critical lands and highlighted other recent acquisitions. And he called on Congress to approve his Lands Legacy initiative -- $1 billion in FY2000 to protect natural treasures and local green spaces, and permanent funding of at least $1 billion a year to continue these efforts in the 21st century.

A Conservation Commitment for the 21st Century. In his balanced budget for FY2000, the President proposed a record $1 billion Lands Legacy initiative to protect more natural treasures, and to provide new resources to states and communities to preserve farms, urban parks, coastlands, wetlands, and working forests. Proposed acquisitions would protect 110 natural and historic sites in 40 states and territories.

So far, however, Congress has cut the President's request by nearly two-thirds. In addition, the President is proposing permanent funding of at least $1 billion a year beginning in FY2001 to continue these efforts throughout the coming century. About half the funding would be reserved for states and local communities. Today, the President called on Congress to approve full funding for next year and to join him in creating a permanent fund to preserve America's lands legacy.

PRESERVING AMERICA'S LANDS LEGACY:
NATURAL AND HISTORIC SITES PROTECTED IN 1999
August 21, 1999

In his radio address today, President Clinton announced other natural or historic sites acquired this year by federal agencies:

FY 2000 LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND LAND ACQUISITION REQUESTS

U. S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture

Funding Requested Agency

CALIFORNIA
California Wilderness $1,000,000 USFS
California Desert (Catellus property) $28,900,000 BLM
Mojave National Preserve (Catellus property) $7,100,000 NPS
San Bernardino Ecosystem, San Bernardino NF $2,500,000 USFS
San Diego NWR $3,100,000 FWS
Santa Rosa Mountains NSA $500,000 BLM

AGENCIES
BLM Bureau of Land Management, U. S. Department of the Interior
FWS Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of the Interior
NPS National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior
USFS U. S. Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture

LEGEND
NF National Forest
NSA National Scenic Area
NWR National Wildlife Refuge