Senator Cantwell Rally for LWCF and explanation of LWCF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki7OH8ziszA
If you want to watch Senator Maria Cantwell in action at rally to fund Land and Water Conservation Fund, see the YouTube video link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki7OH8ziszA
For those of you who would also like an explanation of the rally and the fund, its application to Saint Edward State Park, please read on.
Rally for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) this week showed strong support among conservation groups, Veterans, local manufacturers of camping equipment, and the inspirational City Council member from Tukwilla. The rally helped garner social media support for Congressional efforts to continue the Fund.
The Fund is controlled by the Land and Water Conservation Act (LWCA) laws. The mission is to purchase lands and preserve lands for public outdoor recreational use. Purchases and projects include wild lands, City parks, State Parks, National Parks, and more. The justification is well said by those at the rally.
At the rally we learned that the Senate likely will work with the House to make funding the LWCF more permanent. Over the past 52 years it has been hit and miss whether the LWCA will have a fund to do its work. We appreciate the work of Senator Cantwell to secure funding and ask that it not be permanent because the National Park Service is not enforcing the LWCF rules.
The National Park Service (NPS) is the enforcing agency for the LWCA.
This blog and its adherents support Senator Maria Cantwell's efforts to renew funding for the LWCF, and to make that funding permanent IF enforcement by the NPS enforces the contracts imposed by the LWCA. Otherwise, funding should periodically come up for Congressional review that includes review of NPS decisions.
The LWCA contracts that follow the land at Saint Edward State Park are not up for change by the State Parks Commission, by the State Legislature, or by a lobby effort from commercial agencies. The encumbrances on the park land are only changeable (called a conversion) if marine land of equal value to what is being taken is provided by the developer taking the land and/or buildings, whether through purchase or lease.
In the Saint Edward State Park case, Kevin Daniels Real Estate is leasing 5.5 acres of land, three buildings, and the right to expand parking beyond the 5.5 acres for 62 years. This is for a use other than the park's allowed outdoor passive recreation and allowable support services. Daniels is not providing marine land of equal value as required by a conversion.
If the developer were to only provide support services for outdoor passive recreation, that would not require marine land of equal value. Such support of outdoor passive recreation might look like rustic lodging, an eatery, both modest in cost, perhaps spaces for a medical archive on recreation, a place to do warm up exercises before heading outdoors, a native food lab, a bicycle lab, a bird watching lab, a kite assembly space, etc. The requirement here is indoor spaces support outdoor, passive recreation.
The LWCA requirements are in the contractual documents drawn up specifically for this park:
1. the LWCF rules in force at the time of the park purchase, known as the Handbook,
2. the Deed from the State General Administration to State Parks,
3. the Project Agreement between State Parks and the Secretary of the Interior (the National Park Service acting on that entity's behalf),
4. the successful application for the funds, called The Application.
All of above stipulate outdoor passive recreation or support for that recreation PERIOD or a use is deemed a conversion, and all documents carry the force of law.
However, Kevin Daniels Real Estate has gone from promising the public a rustic lodge to planning a full blown convention center that will bring in a minimum of 70,000 convention goers per year for his investors to break even. Conventions will invite people not there for the passive park experience, and that is just the beginning.
Daniels' hotel rooms will be high end, at today's prices starting at $400, and the restaurant will be manned by a famous chef, that restaurant space also a bar, both beyond the general public's means -- and if that is not enough, taking the best parking spots.
There is no requirement in the lease that limits the number of convention goers to 70,000. There is no requirement in the lease that the conventions not be on weekends or requirement that the conventions not be in the spring, summer and fall, when park visitors make this among the most popular parks in the State. There is no requirement by the NPS that Daniels provide marine land of equal value to what he is taking. The National Park Service is not enforcing the conversion rules.
Stay tuned for how this goes. Will the National Park Service do its job and enforce the contractual documents? Is government hopelessly mired in profit for the few and by razzle dazzle sales pitches?
This is not Save the Building or Save the Park, a false dichotomy. We can do both. #SaveStEds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki7OH8ziszA
For those of you who would also like an explanation of the rally and the fund, its application to Saint Edward State Park, please read on.
Rally for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) this week showed strong support among conservation groups, Veterans, local manufacturers of camping equipment, and the inspirational City Council member from Tukwilla. The rally helped garner social media support for Congressional efforts to continue the Fund.
The Fund is controlled by the Land and Water Conservation Act (LWCA) laws. The mission is to purchase lands and preserve lands for public outdoor recreational use. Purchases and projects include wild lands, City parks, State Parks, National Parks, and more. The justification is well said by those at the rally.
At the rally we learned that the Senate likely will work with the House to make funding the LWCF more permanent. Over the past 52 years it has been hit and miss whether the LWCA will have a fund to do its work. We appreciate the work of Senator Cantwell to secure funding and ask that it not be permanent because the National Park Service is not enforcing the LWCF rules.
The National Park Service (NPS) is the enforcing agency for the LWCA.
This blog and its adherents support Senator Maria Cantwell's efforts to renew funding for the LWCF, and to make that funding permanent IF enforcement by the NPS enforces the contracts imposed by the LWCA. Otherwise, funding should periodically come up for Congressional review that includes review of NPS decisions.
The LWCA contracts that follow the land at Saint Edward State Park are not up for change by the State Parks Commission, by the State Legislature, or by a lobby effort from commercial agencies. The encumbrances on the park land are only changeable (called a conversion) if marine land of equal value to what is being taken is provided by the developer taking the land and/or buildings, whether through purchase or lease.
In the Saint Edward State Park case, Kevin Daniels Real Estate is leasing 5.5 acres of land, three buildings, and the right to expand parking beyond the 5.5 acres for 62 years. This is for a use other than the park's allowed outdoor passive recreation and allowable support services. Daniels is not providing marine land of equal value as required by a conversion.
If the developer were to only provide support services for outdoor passive recreation, that would not require marine land of equal value. Such support of outdoor passive recreation might look like rustic lodging, an eatery, both modest in cost, perhaps spaces for a medical archive on recreation, a place to do warm up exercises before heading outdoors, a native food lab, a bicycle lab, a bird watching lab, a kite assembly space, etc. The requirement here is indoor spaces support outdoor, passive recreation.
The LWCA requirements are in the contractual documents drawn up specifically for this park:
1. the LWCF rules in force at the time of the park purchase, known as the Handbook,
2. the Deed from the State General Administration to State Parks,
3. the Project Agreement between State Parks and the Secretary of the Interior (the National Park Service acting on that entity's behalf),
4. the successful application for the funds, called The Application.
All of above stipulate outdoor passive recreation or support for that recreation PERIOD or a use is deemed a conversion, and all documents carry the force of law.
However, Kevin Daniels Real Estate has gone from promising the public a rustic lodge to planning a full blown convention center that will bring in a minimum of 70,000 convention goers per year for his investors to break even. Conventions will invite people not there for the passive park experience, and that is just the beginning.
Daniels' hotel rooms will be high end, at today's prices starting at $400, and the restaurant will be manned by a famous chef, that restaurant space also a bar, both beyond the general public's means -- and if that is not enough, taking the best parking spots.
There is no requirement in the lease that limits the number of convention goers to 70,000. There is no requirement in the lease that the conventions not be on weekends or requirement that the conventions not be in the spring, summer and fall, when park visitors make this among the most popular parks in the State. There is no requirement by the NPS that Daniels provide marine land of equal value to what he is taking. The National Park Service is not enforcing the conversion rules.
Stay tuned for how this goes. Will the National Park Service do its job and enforce the contractual documents? Is government hopelessly mired in profit for the few and by razzle dazzle sales pitches?
This is not Save the Building or Save the Park, a false dichotomy. We can do both. #SaveStEds
Those facts are perfectly said. The LWCF must see that St Ed's could and should be an example of what "Land and Water Conservation Foundation" stands for..That would be a shinning star for them. You are clearly stating the truth. If anyone thinks differently, it is their guilt and compliance colliding. They are not reading the fine print.
ReplyDeleteThis is exact and to the point. My hope is, they will hitch their wagon to this star. If not it is all just politics as usual.