Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

• Protect the interest of states and local communities by enacting statutory language requiring a minimum of 40% of the total annual LWCF funding be allocated to the LWCF State Assistance Program. This is the same amount required by law to be allocated to the LWCF federal land acquisition program.
• In absence of authorizing legislation, exercise discretionary appropriations power to allocate at least 40% of the total LWCF funding in FY14 to the State Assistance Program.
• Oppose attempts to change the original distribution formula of State Assistance funding through means such as a DOI administered competitive grant program.

Urban Parks

• Authorize legislation which creates a matching grant program for the purpose of providing resources to help revitalize urban communities, grow local economies, improve health, and increase access to recreation programs for at-risk youth as well as veterans and military families.
• Authorize legislation that creates an innovative financing mechanism for park and recreation infrastructure. Support appropriations for programs that assist economically distressed urban localities in the rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities.

Transportation Reauthorization

• Reauthorize surface transportation programs  (MAP-21) in a manner which enhances dedicated funding for key programs that connect communities, make streets safer, and promote healthy modes of transportation such as biking and walking.
• Ensure that efforts to use OCS revenue as a means of paying for transportation infrastructure do not divert funding from LWCF.

Children in Nature and Well Rounded Education

• Authorize legislation that improves our children’s health, supports economic growth, and strengthens the future of conservation by providing incentives to states and local entities to reconnect youth and families with nature and foster environmental stewards. 
• Provide investment in well-rounded education inclusive of environmental education through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and ensure that park and recreation agencies are elibible to partner with schools for grants to develop and implement environmental literacy programs and train teacher in environmental science.

Health, Wellness, and Physical Activity

• Maintain funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Community Transformation Grant (CTG) program at $226 million in FY14.
• Ensure park and recreation agencies are included as eligible partners in any federal strategy or guidelines aimed at increasing physical activity at the local level.