STEVAN PEARCE	COMMITTEES:
	Transportation And Infrastructure
2ND DISTRICT, NEW MEXICO	SUBCOMMITTEES:
	VICE-CHAIR
Assistant Majority Whip	Water Resources And Environment
	Aviation
1408 Longworth House Office Bldg	RESOURCES
Washington, DC 20515	Subcommittees
(202) 225-2365	Water and Power
	Energy and Mineral Resources
www.house.gov/writerrep.org	Forest and Forest Health

Congress of the United States

House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515-3102

August 13, 2003

Mr. John Bunn

Citizen's Task Force for Open Space Preservation

PO Box 422

Mesilla Park, New Mexico 88047

Dear Mr. Bunn:

Thank you for writing me about the Fiscal Year 2004 Interior Appropriations bill, and the need

for the bill to adequately protect our federal lands.

On July 17, 2003, the House passed the Interior Appropriations bill with strong bipartisan

support by a total of268-152. H.R. 2691 as passed by the House of Representatives spends

$19.6 billion, including a total of$1.56 billion dollars for conservation programs paid for by the

Land and Water Conservation Fund, including grants to states for conservation. It also contains a

provision that prohibits counties and states from claiming roads through national parks,

wilderness, wildness study areas or wildlife refuges. Another important provision is the $682

million to address the maintenance backlog in the National Park Service. The total maintenance

backlog on federal lands is estimated to be between $12 and $16 billion.

H.R. 2691 will continue the many necessary programs to ensure our federal lands are protected.

Because of the tight budget not everything that was asked for was included in the bill, however it

does a good job balancing the needs of all the federal programs and departments funded by the

bill. I believe it is a good bill and voted for passage.

Thank you again for contacting me and sharing your thoughts. Please don't hesitate to write

again on issues that are important to you. You can visit my website at www.house.gov/pearce to

find out what I am doing in Washington, or places you can catch me around town in New

Mexico.

Sincerely,

STEVAN PEARCE

Member of Congress