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Trails and Recreation Budgets in Jeopardy Yet Again

From National Recreation and Park Association

We would like to sugget that you dall your U.S. Senators today and ask them to OPPOSE the Craig Amendment to the Farm Bill, Amendment 3640 to bill H.R. 2419. Senator Larry Craig of Idaho offered an amendment on December 10th, to the Farm Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007.

The bill would terminate ALL federal funding for up to 5 years for any local, county or state government that uses eminent domain to acquire farmland and grazing land for parks, recreation and open space. If approved, this amendment would terminate ALL federal funding to the community and/or state that utilized this authority. This means suspending not simply LWCF or other federal funding linked to conservation, but all federal funds that are appropriated or drawn from the US Treasury.

In NRPA's view there is no need for such an extreme measure to penalize state or local goverments for a practice that is used rarely and which is often restricted in many states. Such a harsh penalty would be inappropriate and improper. The Senate could vote on this amendment as early as today.

Please call your U.S. Senators NOW and urge them to OPPOSE the Craig amendment (amendment 3640 to bill H.R. 2419). Contact the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to you Senators' offices. Once connected, ask to speak to the staffer that is handling the Farm Bill and encourage each Senator to oppose the Craig amendment to the Farm Bill.

For questions, or additional assistance contact NRPA Public Policy at 202-887-0290 or email Scott Kovarovics skovarovics@nrpa.org, or Michael Phillips mphillips@nrpa.org .

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