At Gettysburg National Military Park, rain from leaky roofs soaks Civil War relics. Even our national refuge system is showing signs of neglect. Nevertheless, this bill has received strong support from not only Democrats, but Republicans and even staunch supporters of private property rights. Because it is pork barrel politics at its best. CARA would funnel billions of dollars to the states for land acquisitions.
Politicians find such numbers hard to ignore.
The federal government already controls one-third of the land area of the United States and continues to add more than 800,000 acres per year. The pace will quicken much more rapidly if CARA is passed. But the funds for managing these new lands are nowhere to be seen. Any land manager, whether working for a federal agency or overseeing a private farm or ranch, knows that protecting resources comes at a price. Unlike the federal government, conservation groups recognize that management is costly.