(8) The welcome increase in athletic participa-
tion among women and girls is continuing to in-
crease demand for access to local parks and recre-
ation facilities throughout America.
(9) Conserving natural resources, protecting
open space, and enhancing recreation opportunity
will be effective only if undertaken through Federal,
State, and local partnership.
(10) The American legacy of conservation and
open space is key to ensuring that our Nation’s com-
munities are healthy, safe, and secure, and that they
are places where American families and their chil-
dren can enjoy the quality of life that they deserve.
(11) The findings of the 1995 National Biologi-
cal Service study ‘‘Endangered Ecosystems of the
United States: A Preliminary Assessment of Loss
and Degradation’’ demonstrate the need to escalate
conservation measures that protect our Nation’s
wildlands and habitats.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to provide
a secure source of funds available for Federal land acquisi-
tion and to revitalize the State, local, and urban needs
outlined in the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act
of 1965 and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act
of 1978 by providing matching grants for State, local, and
urban conservation and recreation needs.
SEC. 3. SECURE FUNDING.
Section 3 of the Land and Water Conservation Act
of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 4601–5(c)(1)) is amended as follows:
(1) By striking ‘‘Moneys’’ the first place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘Except as provided by sub-
section (b), moneys’’.
(2) By inserting ‘‘(a)’’ after ‘‘3’’.
(3) By adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘(b)(1) SPECIAL RULE.—For any fiscal year begin-
ning after September 30, 1998, and ending before October
1, 2015, from amounts covered into the Fund in the pre-
ceding fiscal year, there is appropriated for purposes of
this Act $900,000,000. Notwithstanding section 5, for
each such fiscal year, such funds shall be available for the
following purposes:
‘‘(A) $450,000,000 shall be available for Fed-
eral purposes (in this Act referred to as the ‘Federal
share’).
‘‘(B) $250,000,000 shall be available for finan-
cial assistance to the States under section 5 and for
any other State purposes authorized under this Act.
Such sum shall be apportioned among the States
pursuant to section 6 (in this Act referred to as the
‘State share’). No less than 50 percent of the State
share for each State for each such fiscal year shall
be directed by the State to local governments to pro-
vide natural areas, open space, parklands, or rec-
reational areas.
‘‘(C) $150,000,000 shall be available to the
Secretary of the Interior for grants to local govern-
ments through the Urban Parks and Recreation Re-
covery Program (16 U.S.C. 2501–2514).
‘‘(D) $50,000,000 shall be available to the Sec-
retary of the Interior through and including fiscal
year 2004, for grants for land acquisition in connec-
tion with the American Battlefield Protection Pro-
gram. For fiscal years 2004 through and including
2014, $50,000,000 shall be available to the Sec-
retary of the Interior for the restoration and acquisi-
tion of historical and cultural sites found within the
National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service,
Bureau of Land Management and the National For-
est Service.
‘‘(2) The President shall, in his annual budget sub-
mission for the fiscal year concerned, specify the specific
purposes for which the funds referred to in subparagraphs
(A), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1) are to be used by the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
Such funds shall be used by the Secretary concerned for
the purposes specified by the President in such annual
budget submission unless the Congress, in the general ap-
propriation Acts for the Department of the Interior and
the Department of Agriculture for such fiscal year, speci-
fies that any part of such Federal share is to be used by
the Secretary concerned for other puposes.
‘‘(3) For purposes of the budget submission, the
President shall require the Secretary of the Interior and
the Secretary of Agriculture to prepare Federal priority
lists for expenditure of the Federal share. Such lists shall
be prepared in consultation with the head of the affected
bureau or agency, taking into account the best profes-
sional judgment regarding the land acquisition priorities
and policies of each bureau or agency. In preparing such
priority lists, the Secretaries shall consider—
‘‘(A) the potential adverse impacts which might
result if the acquisition is not undertaken;
‘‘(B) the availability of land appraisal and other
information necessary to complete the acquisition in
a timely manner; and
‘‘(C) such other factors as the Secretaries deem
appropriate.’’.
SEC. 4. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STATES.
Section 6 of the Land and Water Conservation Act
of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 4601–5(c)(1)) is amended as follows:
(1) By amending subsection (b)(5) to strike the
comma after ‘‘the District of Columbia’’ and insert
‘‘shall be treated as one State. Indian/Alaska Native
Village Corporations shall be treated as one State
and shall allocate their funds in a manner to be de-
termined by the Secretary of the Interior.’’.
(2) By amending subsection (e)(1) by striking
‘‘, but not including incidental costs relating to ac-
quisition’’.
(3) By amending subsection (e)(2) by inserting
before the period at the end ‘‘or to enhance public
safety.’’.
(4) By striking the second sentence of sub-
section (f)(5) and inserting: ‘‘The Secretary shall ap-
prove such conversion only if the State demonstrates
no prudent or feasible alternative exists with the ex-
ception of those properties that are no longer viable
as an outdoor conservation and recreation facility
due to changes in demographics or that must be
abandoned because of environmental contamination
which endangers public health and safety. Any con-
version must satisfy any conditions the Secretary
deems necessary to assure the substitution of other
conservation and recreation properties of at least
equal market value and reasonably equivalent useful-
ness and location and which are in accord with the
existing State Plan for Conservation and Recreation;
except that wetland areas and interests therein as
identified in the wetlands provisions of the action
agenda and proposed to be acquired as suitable re-
placement property within that same State that is
otherwise acceptable to the Secretary shall be con-
sidered to be of reasonably equivalent usefulness
with the property proposed for conversion.’’.
SEC. 5. URBAN PARK AND RECREATION RECOVERY ACT OF
1978 AMENDMENTS.
The Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act (16
U.S.C. 2501 and following) is amended as follows:
(1) In section 1004 by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end of subsection (j), by striking the period at the
end of subsection (k) and inserting ‘‘; and’’ and by
adding the following after subsection (k):
‘‘(l) ‘development grants’ means matching capital
grants to local units of government to cover costs of devel-
opment and construction on existing or new neighborhood
recreation sites, including indoor and outdoor recreation
facilities, support facilities, and landscaping, but excluding
routine maintenance and upkeep activities; and
‘‘(m) ‘acquisition grants’ means matching capital
grants to local units of government to cover the direct and
incidental costs of purchasing new parkland to be perma-
nently dedicated and made accessible for public conserva-
tion and recreation.’’.
(2) Section 1004(j) (16 U.S.C. 2503(j)) is
amended by inserting ‘‘the District of Columbia,’’
after ‘‘by the Governor,’’.
(3) Section 1005(a) (16 U.S.C. 2504(a) is
amended to read as follows:
‘‘(a) ELIGIBILITY.—Eligibility of general purpose
local governments to compete for assistance under this
title shall be based upon need as determined by the Sec-
retary. Generally, the list of eligible governments shall in-
clude the following:
‘‘(1) All political subdivisions included in Metro-
politan, Primary, or Consolidated Statistical Areas
as currently defined by the census.
‘‘(2) Any other city or town within a Metropoli-
tan Area with a total population of 50,000 or more
in the census of 1970, 1980, or 1990, or each cen-
sus thereafter.
‘‘(3) Any other political subdivision, county,
parish, or township with a total of 250,000 or more
in the census of 1970, 1980, or 1990, or each cen-
sus thereafter.’’.
(4) Section 1006(a) (16 U.S.C. 2505) is
amended as follows:
(A) In subsection (a) by striking ‘‘and in-
novative grants directly’’ and inserting ‘‘innova-
tion, development, or acquisition purposes’’.
(B) In paragraph (1) of subsection (a) by
striking ‘‘and innovation’’ and inserting ‘‘inno-
vation, development, or acquisition’’ and by
striking all after ‘‘subdivisions or regional park
authorities’’ and inserting ‘‘except that such
grantees shall provide assurance to the Sec-
retary that they will maintain public conserva-
tion and recreation opportunities at assisted
areas and facilities owned or managed by them
in accordance with section 1010 of this Act.’’
(C) In paragraph (2) of subsection (a) by
striking ‘‘or innovative projects’’ and inserting
‘‘innovation, 
development, 
or 
acquisition
projects’’ and by striking ‘‘, except’’ and all
that follows and inserting ‘‘on a reimbursable
basis.’’.
(5) Section 1010 (16 U.S.C. 2509) is amended
to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 1010. CONVERSION.
‘‘No property acquired or improved or developed
under this title shall, without the approval of the Sec-
retary, be converted to other than public recreation uses.
The Secretary shall approve such conversion only if the
grantee demonstrates no prudent or feasible alternative
exists (with the exception of those properties that are no
longer a viable recreation facility due to changes in demo-
graphics or they must be abandoned because of environ-
mental contamination which endangers public health and
safety). Any conversion must satisfy any conditions the
Secretary deems necessary to assure the substitution of
other conservation and recreation properties of at least
equal market value and reasonably equivalent usefulness
and location and which are in accord with the current con-
servation and recreation recovery action program.’’.
(6) Section 1014 (16 U.S.C. 2513) is repealed.
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