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JCABARRUS CDUN1T J <br /> <br />IIO~TH CAROLI~ <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />John Witherspoon, County Manager <br /> <br />Steve L. Little, Director <br />Cabarrus County Parks and Recreation Department <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Monday, February 8, 1993 <br /> <br />Establishment of a Statewide Land and Water Conservation <br />Fund <br /> <br />Funding for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a <br />major source of support for state and local park systems for the <br />last twenty-seven years, has decreased considerably since 1979 (see <br />Attachment 1). During the past four years, the funding level has <br />been so low that most recreation and parks departments are no <br />longer bothering to apply for grants. <br /> <br />Local governments in NC need almost one billion dollars to meet <br />national standards in providing land and facilities for leisure <br />opportunities for our citizens and visitors (see Attachment 2). <br />The State parks System has documented almost 200 million in land <br />acquisitions, renovation and development needs to complete master <br />plans developed fifteen years ago. <br /> <br />In the 1991 session of the General Assembly, a bill was introduced <br />that proposed raising the excise tax on land transfers by one <br />dollar per thousand. The bill would have dedicated the <br />approximately $12.8 million raised by the tax to the Recreation and <br />Natural Heritage Trust Fund (RNHTF) and would have made the RNHTF <br />available to local units of government and the Department of <br />Cultural Resources. The Bill was never reported out of committee, <br />but the tax was increased and fifteen percent of the revenues were <br />dedicated to RNHTF. However, the other 85% of the revenue went <br />into the General Fund and local governments were not included in <br />the RNHTF. <br /> <br />The current Legislative Study Commission on Parks and Recreation <br />(LSC) has drafted legislation that would dedicate the 85% of the <br />revenue that is currently going to the General Assembly to a <br />proposed park fund of NC to be used for land acquisition, <br />renovation and development of the State Park System. The proposal <br />has general support from the conservation community. However, <br />there is a possibility that the LSC would be willing to make the <br />funds available to local governments if the County Commissionel-s <br />Association and League of Municipalities were willing to support <br /> <br /> Parks and Recreation Depa~rnent <br /> <br />755 Caba~;us$,ve~-ueWest · P.O Box 707 · Coi~cc, rd, NC 28026-0707 , (704) 7~861~0,~ <br /> <br /> <br />