Legacy Roads Money

[Grumpy]

Legacy Roads Receives $90 million for 2010!
By Bethanie Walder


November 6, 2009

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On Friday, October 30, President Obama signed the Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. The bill provides funding for public lands management across the country, including the national forests. While there are many great provisions included in this act, Wildlands CPR is thrilled that the Act includes $90 million in funding for the Forest Service Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative for 2010. This is equivalent to the total amount allocated to Legacy Roads and Trails in 2008/2009 combined.

When the House/Senate conference committee sent out their press release announcing the final bill provisions, the $90 million allocated to Legacy Roads and Trails was the first of three key Forest Service provisions they highlighted!

The Forest Service has been able to use the past two years of Legacy Roads funds to reclaim thousands of miles of roads already, in addition to upgrading culverts and restoring fish passage on hundreds of miles of streams. This work protects and restores clean drinking water for millions of Americans while simultaneously providing high wage, high skill green jobs.

A huge thank you to Congressman Norm Dicks for spearheading the effort to increase Legacy Roads funds! These new funds will have a huge impact on the ground during 2010.

The bill included several other excellent provisions that Wildlands CPR supported, including passage of the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act which provides funds for fire-fighting so the Forest Service and Department of Interior won’t have to raid other programs to fight fires in bad fire years.

In addition, the bill included several provisions to strengthen travel management planning, including strong direction to the Forest Service to identify an ecologically and fiscally sustainable minimum road system.



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