NEWS RELEASES
100 Days To Save the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through Outdoor Sportswire's website.
Washington, D.C. – Supporters of America’s most important conservation and recreation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, in the House and Senate rallied on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with other conservation leaders and outdoor recreation advocates on June 20th to vow to save the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), before it expires in 100 days on September 30, 2018. Dubbed the #SaveLWCF campaign, Members of Congress are attempting to highlight national parks, public lands and conservation success stories in states across the country so people can back the cause. The public lands in this country are ours to explore and roam free, yet there needs to be funding to make the locations worth being and accommodating for modern life.
According to a press release by the LWCF Coalition, Mark Tercek, President and CEO of the Nature Conservancy says, “For over half a century, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF, has protected lands and waters in every county in every state in this country. But despite having broad, bipartisan support, this tremendously successful program has just 100 days of life left in it unless Congress acts. The LWCF helps conserve natural ecosystems that people, wildlife and local economies need to survive.” Colorado Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) is one of many House members that that commented on the expiration of the Land and Water Conservation Fund: “Over the past five decades, LWCF’s support has led to the protection of Colorado treasures like the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Ophir Valley, among numerous others. At the local level, LWCF has brought together communities at local parks and provided opportunities for kids to learn outside. We need to harness the broad bipartisan support for this program to reauthorize and fully fund LWCF for future generations,” he says.
For more quotes from state Senators and more information on the LWCF Coalition, read the full press release.