Full and Dedicated Funding for Critical Conservation Program—“LWCF”— Passes the Senate with Overwhelming Majority

“Historic conservation is in the making. The Conservation Fund praises the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) that includes full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). We call on the U.S. House of Representatives to quickly pass it and for the President to sign the Act.

“The U.S. Senate has acted decisively to approve one of the most significant conservation achievements in 50 years—a substantial investment in our outdoors. During these challenging times, our nation’s public lands and special natural places are critical for our mental wellbeing and health. Additionally, historic places where we learn about the fight for racial justice, equality and freedom, like the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park and Freedom Riders National Monument, are essential to our path forward. LWCF is a critical funding source that attracts equally valuable state, local and private support to provide unmatched economic, environmental, social, cultural and historical value to Americans.

“As originally designed by Congress in 1965, LWCF reinvests offshore energy revenues in conservation and recreation access projects. Every day Americans explore, enjoy, relax in, recreate on, and at the very least pass by places that have been protected and enhanced by the Land and Water Conservation Fund—from iconic landscapes like the Grand Teton National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the community park down the street and the private forests we nurture.

“LWCF is an important tool for protecting critical waterways, wild habitats, historic sites and working lands that are under pressure and threatened by conversion. It also advances efforts to reduce wildfire threats, supports local economies, and improves the management of our public lands. Our natural infrastructure supports the basic and essential everyday needs of all Americans, like clean water and air, and it provides billions of dollars in economic revenue to the states through outdoor recreation, tourism and other uses.

“The Conservation Fund thanks the LWCF champions in the U.S. Senate and urges the U.S. House of Representatives to similarly enact the LWCF legislation and send it to the President’s desk. Our natural lands are our country’s greatest public asset, and their management and protection will play an integral role in America’s economic recovery.”

About The Conservation Fund

At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than eight million acres of land.