Stable Funding to Protect Rhode Island’s Beaches

Rhode Island’s beaches and public lands are protected and conserved in part through federal funds, and this support is at risk. But the new year––and a new Congress––could bring new promise that these beaches and public lands will be protected for generations to come.

Decades ago, Congress set up the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect, improve, and expand public lands all over the United States, from renowned national parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to community parks, trails, and beaches. The idea was that a portion of the revenues the federal government receives from offshore oil and gas drilling royalties would be used to protect and expand parks, wildlife refuges, forests and recreation areas.

In Rhode Island, a portion of this funding has gone to federal conservation lands, such as the Block Island National Wildlife Refuge, and some has gone to grants to conserve and improve our state and local parks and recreation areas, including many of Rhode Island’s beaches. Click here to see a full map of LWCF-protected places in Rhode Island. With full funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the natural resources at Rhode Island’s state parks and wildlife refuges could be further protected to ensure that they will remain beautiful and protected for generations to come.

While the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been successful in protecting parks all over the country, since its establishment it has only received full funding from Congress once. The 2013 budget proposal is one of the worst, with the US House of Representatives attempting to cut the fund’s intended budget by 93%. Unless Congress acts now, the program will run out of funding in late March, which would make it difficult to secure resources needed to protect our beaches and other public lands.

We must act now to prevent this from happening. In the long run, we need to ensure that the Land and Water Conservation Fund is fully funded as originally intended, and that this funding is removed from the budget process so that it doesn’t go on the chopping block again like it has this year.

Environment Rhode Island has resolved to work with our allies to secure full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We are urging Senators Reed and Whitehouse to support this effort, and are looking forward to working with them in the new year to give our public lands the protection they deserve. We want to care for Rhode Island so that future generations can enjoy our beaches and special places like Block Island just as we do now.