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Economy, enviro benefit from land, water conservation fund

While the Upper Peninsula is known for the beauty of its forests, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, the access and maintenance of many of these unique places is threated by the recent expiration of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee, who allowed the fund to expire on September 30, is now proposing an alternative that would effectively kill one of the most important conservation programs in our country’s history.

As a fellow member of the Natural Resources Committee, U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls has the opportunity to stand up for northern Michigan by rejecting Bishop’s alternative and call for the swift reauthorization and full funding of LWCF.

For the past 50 years the LWCF has been leveraged to conserve land and water for the use of all Americans. The LWCF was created by an act of Congress in 1965 to be funded through revenue generated from off shore oil and gas drilling, not taxes. In Michigan alone the LWCF has invested over $322 million for projects such as city parks, campgrounds and vast national treasures like the Ottawa National Forest, Pictured Rocks and the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Many of the places the LWCF protects aren’t just natural landscapes, but also locations rich in local history. Possibly the best known of these LWCF-supported parks and landmarks in Michigan is the Upper Peninsula’s Pictured Rocks, located near Munising. With over 73,000 acres, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore contains many historic lighthouses and several historical shipwrecks, many of which are well preserved today thanks to programs like the LWCF.

Though the LWCF is best known for supporting parks for tourism and recreation, it also supports working forests through the Forest Legacy Program. Past LWCF financial support has helped maintain jobs and sustainable forest operations in 247,803 acres of the Northern Great Lakes Forest. Currently, funding from the Forest Legacy Program is desperately needed to protect the Pilgrim River Forest near Houghton, key not only for working forest jobs, but also for water quality and recreation. Unfortunately, if opponents in Congress have their way, critical support will disappear and with it the jobs and economic development so important to the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan. These jobs in our logging, biomass, and paper industries support small town Michigan communities, where thousands of hard working families want to remain, to live, work, worship, play and raise families.

These national parks mean more than just a gorgeous place to vacation and work they have a huge economic impact on local communities like ours. When people come to visit our national forests andparks they spend money at our hotels, restaurants and stores; which brings jobs to the U.P.

Nationally, LWCF-supported outdoor recreation generates $646 billion in consumer spending. In Michigan alone outdoor recreation brings $18.7 billion and supports 194,000 jobs. That’s $5.5 billion in wages and salaries (according to the Outdoor Industry Association). As the co-owner of a small business (Reblossom Clothing store in Marquette), the tourism industry helps our store, and others, thrive. Without the tourism or the forestry business bringing money and jobs to places like Marquette, businesses like mine wouldn’t be able to survive.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has done huge things to help the Upper Peninsula create jobs and protect the beauty of its parks and forests without tax dollars. Even though I’m a conservative Republican and therefore typically opposed to government programs, to me, this program is a no brainer. We should continue the Land and Water Conservation Fund and maintain its full funding to help protect and expand the Upper Peninsula’s natural beauty. The U.P. is one of Michigan’s most valuable treasures and we need to do everything in our power to protect it.

As the U.S. House National Resources Committee considers the fate of the LWCF, please join me in urging Congressman Benishek to help protect this important program by rejecting Utah U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop’s damaging alternative, and instead support the immediate clean reauthorization of the previous Land and Water Conservation Fund. Help us to preserve the fund, and most importantly to preserve and support the beauty of northern Michigan’s pristine parks and forests. Jobs, the future of our communities and our quality of life hang in the balance.

Editor’s note: Doreen Takalo of Skandia is a former chairwoman of the Marquette County Republican Party.

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