WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 1, 2010 - During President Obama’s State of the Union address he said, “Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't."
However, in today’s budget proposal, the Administration included an additional $170 million to buy more public land through the Land and Water Conservation Fund - bringing total funding for the program to $620 million.
When the National Park Service already has a $9 billion maintenance backlog, most Americans would agree that purchasing more government land does not qualify as a “need."
“Stays on track to fully fund Land and Water Conservation Fund programs by 2014 by providing nearly $620 million to acquire new lands for national parks, forests and refuges, protect endangered species habitat, and promote outdoor recreation." ()