President Barack Obama White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500

April 15, 2014

Re: Recent Actions to Protect America’s Public Lands

Dear President Barack Obama,

We the undersigned state legislators would like to applaud you for acting quickly on your State of the Union commitment to protect America’s public lands by using your authority this spring to protect public lands along California’s northern coast and call for full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. We support continued administrative action to protect our public lands heritage.

From the deep river gorge at Rio Grande del Norte to the ragged coastline of Acadia, you know personally that America’s public lands contain some of the most beautiful sights in the country. Each year, millions of Americans plan family vacations to these special places to enjoy these view sheds and take advantage of outdoor adventures. This passion to enjoy the outdoors spurs America’s outdoor recreation economy, generating $646 billion in consumer spending and 6.1 million direct jobs annually, as well as encouraging entrepreneurs to relocate and grow their businesses near protected public lands.

Unfortunately many of these same landscapes are also home to highly sought-after natural resources increasing the risk of mining, logging and drilling, which put these landscapes at risk. It is a pivotal moment in history to protect some of the country’s last wild places to ensure future generations can enjoy them just as our economy benefits from them today.

We stand in support of your message delivered in the State of the Union that you will use your executive authority to protect our public lands.

As legislators, we encourage action from Congress to protect these landscapes but, as you know, for the last three years Congress has passed just one bill to designate new wilderness. Our economies can’t afford to wait. Thank you for acting decisively to expand the California Coastal Monument to include the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands in Mendocino County, California. We hope you will continue to work with local communities to protect public landscapes including the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks near Las Cruces, NM, and Boulder-White Clouds in Idaho. Your administration can deliver a bold agenda for permanently protecting our most critically important cultural and natural heritage in your remaining years in office.

Another critical tool for protecting our public lands is America’s premier conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). We are heartened by your continued support for this program. Since its inception, LWCF has invested nearly $14.4 billion into protecting state and federal lands. Over 40,000 grants have come to our states and localities allowing us to give more opportunities for youth

and families to enjoy the outdoors while protecting critical habitat for wildlife. We look forward to working with you to ensure full and continued funding of LWCF and we look forward to working with you to support the full resources it deserves.

Thank you again for protecting those places “too special to develop”, and investing in our state and local economies. We look forward to continuing to work with you to make sure our parks and public lands get the funding they need and the protections they deserve.

Sincerely,

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano Senator Jerry Hill, Senate Environmental Quality California Committee Chair California Senator Marty Block California Senator Ben Hueso California Assemblymember Richard Bloom California Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson California Assemblymember Rob Bonta California Assemblymember Marc Levine California Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro, Assembly Natural Resources Committee Chair; Co-Chair, Senator Carol Liu Environmental Caucus California California Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal Senator Ellen Corbett, Senate Majority Leader California California Assemblymember , Assistant Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Speaker pro Tempore of the Assembly California California

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