More trash for the American taxpayer has been dumped in an unlikely spot — the giant catch-all parks bill soon to be considered by Congress. The bill would continue to undercharge ranchers for grazing rights, force taxpayers to underwrite insurance for coastal development schemes and hand out sweetheart deals to ski resort owners.

H.R. 1296 is an “omnibus” bill dealing with the nation’s parks, forests and public lands. While provisions in the bill are generally the territory of environmental groups, taxpayers should know that they may lose out if the bill passes as written. Turns out the parks bill is stuffed full of subsidies – more tax dollars being funneled to companies that hardly qualify for government hand-outs.

One of the most blatantly anti-taxpayer provisions in the bill continues the practice of charging artificially low fees to ranchers who graze their herds on public lands. The subsidy benefits only a fraction of the nation’s livestock industry and costs taxpayers an estimated $200 million per year.

Another section would have taxpayers underwrite the development of coastal areas in Florida by guaranteeing corporate developers federally backed (a.k.a. taxpayer backed) flood insurance. National coast protection groups estimate that each developed acre of coast costs the taxpayer $82,000 in federal subsidies. This section would run contrary to the already-established Coastal Barrier Resources System which prohibits using taxpayer subsidies for new development in certain areas.

A third section would continue the artificially-low fees charged to ski-resort owners for running their businesses on public lands. In 1991, the General Accounting Office found that while the ski industry generated $737 million in revenues, it paid the taxpayer only $13.5 million for the use of the land. And these aren’t small time operators. Beneficiaries include Japanese multi-national Kamori Kando Co. and the Ralston Purina Co.

Congressional members eager to allow select companies to squeeze profits out of America’s public lands are hoping to pass their provisions by burying them in the mega-parks bill which happens to contain several environmental provisions that Congress and the Administration have committed to passing.

House sends water boondoggle down river

Taxpayers for Common Sense scored a victory for the taxpayer when it helped win the 221-200 House vote on July 25 against funding for the $481 million Animas- La Plata water project in Colorado. TC$ was the only national taxpayer group involved in the Animas campaign. The Senate is expected to vote on Animas on July 30.