Number: 1999-09
WHEREAS, the United States government spends significant amounts of money every year through direct appropriations of tax dollars, subsidized principal and interest costs, and through foregone tax revenue on small and large-scale development in the public, not-for-profit, and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, these development projects – financed directly with government funding, through corporate or personal income tax subsidies, or with government-subsidized water, energy, or property – are traditionally analyzed entirely or almost exclusively on the basis of their immediate- and medium-term impact on the economy; and
WHEREAS, the oversight and administration of these undertakings are handled by a multitude of organizations, public and private, with varying levels of financial responsibility and expertise and often less interest in each undertaking’s immediate and cumulative impacts on natural resources including wildlife habitat; and
WHEREAS, effective techniques and strategies for addressing environmental, social, and economic interests of development exist under the broad description of “Smart Growth”; and
WHEREAS, the federal government will propose to commit more than one billion dollars in additional spending to encourage local governments and communities to adopt “Smart Growth” development techniques and strategies as part of their livability agenda; and
WHEREAS, the concept of “Smart Growth” complements existing brownfields reclamation incentives, promotes efficient use of urban and natural resources and protects irreplaceable open space vital to the recreational, agricultural, scenic, and ecological resources of communities;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 18-21, 1999, in Houston, Texas, calls upon the United States Congress and the Administration to move forward in the FY 2000 budget with strong “Smart Growth” proposals consistent with the concept outlined above; and in particular to provide additional incentives for state and local government action to reduce adverse impacts on the environment and on human and community health.