Outdoor Industry Association

BOULDER, CO –-(AmmoLand.com)- Congress has approved a 17 percent increase in total funding over last year’s level for the Department of the Interior (DOI) which manages a vast majority of the nation’s public lands. The final bill H.R. 2996,

http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/ConferenceReportDOI2010.pdf

designates over $32 billion to the DOI, an increase in $4.66 billion compared to last year. Notable victories for the outdoor recreation community include invigorated funding levels for the federal and stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as authorization and support for the FLAME Act which is aimed at managing the escalating costs of wildfire.

Systematically underfunded in the past, the LWCF received revived attention from lawmakers this year. The conference committee approved $265.3 million for federal LWCF, a figure that exceeds last year’s funding level by $100 million. The committee has designated $40 million to stateside LWCF, twice the amount specified in last year’s appropriations.

The bill also creates the FLAME Fund which sets aside resources for fire suppression emergencies to avoid drawing from non-fire operations such as the budgets that fund campgrounds and trails. The conference report allots $474 million to the fund for FY2010, $61 million of which will go to the Bureau of Land Management and $413 million will be allotted to the Forest Service.

Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) appreciates the leadership that congressional members have shown for outdoor recreation and land stewardship throughout the appropriations process.

“The vast majority of outdoor recreation occurs on our magnificent public lands and in order for the recreation economy to continue to grow as well as for Americans to enjoy the health and spiritual benefits of outdoor recreation, we as a nation must invest in the management of these wonderful resources. This budget reflects that priority,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of OIA.

Here is a brief list of additional highlights from the spending bill:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Planning program will receive nearly $50 million this year, a $2 million increase over last year and slightly below the $52.5 million recommended by OIA.

The BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System will receive a nearly $8 million increase over last year’s funding, just shy of the OIA recommendation.

The National Park Service’s (NPS) operating budget was approved at $130 million more than last year’s level, exceeding the OIA recommendation of a $100 million increase.

The committee approved the NPS’s Centennial Initiative for $15 million, $10 million below both the House request and the OIA recommendation.

The Forest Service’s Recreation, Heritage & Wilderness program was approved for $285 million which is a $7.5 million increase over last year.

The committee allotted $85.4 million for the Forest Service Trails program which is a $4.4 million increase over last year.

The final version of the spending bill will go to President Obama for his signature.

Click here (http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/ConferenceReportDOI2010.pdf) to be directed to the full text of the conference committee report.

About Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) is a national trade association whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor industry. OIA provides trade services for over 4000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers in the outdoor industry. OIA programs include representation in government/legislative affairs, market and social research, business-to-business services and youth outreach initiatives. Educational events include the annual Rendezvous®, Outdoor University® and the Capitol Summit. Outdoor Industry Association is based in Boulder, Colorado, and is the title sponsor of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshows. For more information, visit http://www.outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

USA DOI- The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has announced the final amended version of its changes to rules on carrying of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. DOI’s move will restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who wish to transport and carry firearms for lawful purposes on most DOI lands, and will make federal law consistent with the state law in which these public lands are located. NRA led the effort to amend the existing policy regarding the carrying and transportation of firearms on these federal lands.

“Today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior brings clarity and uniformity for law-abiding gun owners visiting our national parks,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox. “We are pleased that the Interior Department recognizes the right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families while enjoying America’s National Parks and wildlife refuges.”

DOI announced the rule change today and will publish the new regulations in the Federal Register. The new regulations allow right-to-carry permit holders to exercise their Second Amendment rights on national park and wildlife refuges in those states that recognize such permits. The move will provide consistency across our nation’s federal lands and put an end to the patchwork of regulations that governed different lands managed by different federal agencies. In the past, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands allowed the carrying of firearms, while lands managed by DOI did not.

NRA has long held that amendments to those regulations were needed to reflect the changed legal situations with respect to state laws on carrying firearms. Earlier this year, fifty-one U.S. Senators sent a strong bipartisan letter to the DOI supporting the move to make state firearms laws applicable to national park lands and refuges.

“These changes respect the Second Amendment rights of honest citizens as they enjoy our public lands,” concluded Cox. “We applaud the Interior Department’s efforts to amend these out of date regulations.”

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