Fact Sheet: White House Outlines Environmental Accomplishments

22 April 2002

Fact Sheet: White House Outlines Environmental Accomplishments

Bush observes 33rd annual Earth Day

A White House fact sheet released on Earth Day April 22 outlines a number of administration environmental projects.

Following is the text:

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
April 22, 2002

President Bush Calls for Conservation and Stewardship on Earth Day

Today's Presidential Action

President Bush traveled to the Adirondack Park in upstate New York to observe the 33rd annual Earth Day, where he called for stronger cooperation between government, the private sector and individuals to increase environmental conservation and stewardship.
This year, Earth Day coincides with the beginning of National Volunteer Week. The President also highlighted the important work that volunteers do on environmental conservation projects across the country, and the importance of every American taking personal responsibility for protecting and enhancing their local environment.

Background on Today's Presidential Action

The Adirondack Park is a New York State park protected by a "forever wild" amendment to the state constitution in 1894. While the public lands within the Park are controlled by the State of New York, the history of the Adirondack Park and recent land conservation initiatives in the area demonstrate the importance of personal stewardship and public/private cooperation in land conservation. The Park is a unique mix of public and private lands, with about half the land within the park's boundaries (known locally as the "blue line") remaining in private hands. The 6-million acre Adirondack Forest Preserve was established with support from private landowners and businesses in the area that were concerned about the effects that deforestation would have upon local water supplies.
The President also honored the thousands of volunteers who dedicate time every year to advancing environmental conservation efforts across the country. During his visit, the President worked on a trail maintenance project on the Ausable River Trail with the Adirondack Council, the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks and AmeriCorps members working with the Student Conservation Association. Individual action plays an essential role in environmental conservation.
More than 200,000 volunteers work on Department of Interior lands each year -- three volunteers for every Department of Interior employee -- and thousands more contribute to other federal, state, local, tribal, and private conservation efforts.
More than 19,000 Senior Corps volunteers work on 2,600 environmental projects each year -- dedicating an average of 1 million hours annually to environmental activities. And, this year, more than 6,000 AmeriCorps members are working on 150 national and local environmental projects.

President Bush's Commitment to Environmental Conservation and Stewardship

Land and Water Conservation Fund: The LWCF may be the most successful federal-state-local partnership for conservation in American history. The President's FY 03 budget proposal once again fully funds the LWCF (for the second year in a row) at more than $900 million to support a variety of conservation approaches -- including increasing funding to states and local communities to $200 million, a $56 million increase over FY 02 funding, and a $110 million increase over FY 01 funding. Under the prior administration, LWCF funding for states was phased out and the money was reserved exclusively for federal land acquisitions. The President's FY 03 budget proposal recognizes that federal land acquisition is not the only way to conserve land and other natural resources, and allows funds to be used for conservation easements.
Protecting our National Parks: The President's FY 03 budget includes the largest National Parks operations budget ever submitted. The President's budget reflects his strong support for the National Parks Legacy Project that he announced last year to eliminate the park maintenance backlog. Approximately 25 percent of the President's record FY 03 $665 million budget request for maintenance backlog will be spent on projects that benefit critical natural resource needs.

The President's FY 03 budget also includes an $18 million increase (to $67.5 million) for the Natural Resource Challenge, a science-based initiative to strengthen natural resource management throughout the National Park system by protecting native species and habitats, improving the health of natural resources within parks, eradicating invasive species, and sharing information about natural resources with the public. Fifty-two parks will have programs to measure park resource health by the end of 2003.
Protecting our National Wildlife Refuges: The President's FY 03 budget proposes a record $376 million, up $57 million from FY'02, for our National Wildlife Refuges. The National Wildlife Refuge system is celebrating its centennial year in 2003, and its Centennial Campaign will improve resource conservation, visitor programs, and facilities on wildlife refuges nationwide.
Promoting Cooperative Conservation: The President has proposed spending $100 million through the Department of Interior for a new Cooperative Conservation Initiative to protect and conserve the environment through partnerships that will tap Americans' ingenuity, imagination, and innovative spirit. Challenge grants will be awarded competitively to landowners, environmental groups, land-user groups, communities and local and state governments.
Landowner Incentive Program and Private Stewardship Grant Programs: President Bush has worked to create new landowner incentive and private stewardship grant programs, which Congress funded at $50 million this year. The President's FY 03 budget includes an additional $10 million -- for a total of $60 million -- for these programs. The President's FY 03 budget includes $50 million in funding for the Landowner Incentive Program, which provides funds to states, tribes, and territories to make cost-sharing grants to landowners who voluntarily participate in the protection of habitat for endangered, threatened or other at-risk species on private or Tribal lands. Another $10 million will go to the Private Stewardship Grant Program, which directly assists individuals or groups involved in the voluntary conservation of wildlife habitat on private lands.
A Call for a Strong Conservation Title for the Farm Bill: President Bush believes that America's agriculture policy should encourage the production of goods and services in more efficient, innovative, and environmentally beneficial ways. The President is working to ensure that the Farm Bill will bolster the stewardship of working lands through such programs as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Farmland Protection Program, and a new Grasslands Reserve Program. Expansion of other programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program, and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, are also important components of a strong conservation title in the Farm Bill. Greater use of these well-designed, voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs can provide environmental benefits, such as improved water quality, habitat, soil retention, and carbon sequestration.

Other Key Bush Administration Environmental Accomplishments

Budget - President Bush's $44.4 billion FY 03 environment and natural resources budget request is the highest ever -- $1.4 billion, or 3 percent, higher than FY 02 enacted. The President's budget proposal provides $4.1 billion, the highest level ever for EPA's operating program, and provides the highest level ever for EPA state program grants, $1.2 billion.
Brownfields Cleanup - Bringing New Life to Abandoned Sites in Our Cities and Towns: Fulfilling an important campaign commitment, President Bush signed historic legislation that will result in more cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated industrial sites known as "brownfields" -- improving the environment, protecting public health, creating jobs and revitalizing communities. The President's FY 03 budget proposal provides $200 million -- twice the FY 02 level of funding -- for EPA's brownfields program, $171 million of which is for grants for states and local communities. The President is also working to make permanent the brownfields tax credit.
Clear Skies - A Clean Air Act for the 21st Century: President Bush's initiative would dramatically improve air quality by cutting power plants' emissions of three critical pollutants by 70 percent -- more than any other presidential clean air initiative. This historic legislative proposal would bring clean air to American communities faster, more reliably, and more effectively than the current Clean Air Act. And, it would help to reduce acid rain in the Adirondacks.

end text