U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) said they have President Donald Trump’s support for their bipartisan legislation to provide full, mandatory funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which would help decrease the $12 billion maintenance backlog that exists for America’s national parks.
“This is a historic day for conservation, Montana and this nation,” Sen. Daines said during a March 4 press conference. “I am proud to stand here today and announce that after my meeting with President Trump, Senator Gardner, and Leader McConnell, we have the support we need to provide full and mandatory funding for LWCF and address the maintenance backlog at our national parks.”
The senators held a meeting last week with Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-AL) to highlight the importance of conservation priorities in their states. During the meeting, Trump agreed to support and sign the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, S. 1081/H.R. 3195. Sens. Daines and Gardner cosponsored the Senate bill in April 2019 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
“I am calling on Congress to send me a Bill that fully and permanently funds the LWCF and restores our National Parks,” Trump tweeted on March 3. “When I sign it into law, it will be HISTORIC for our beautiful public lands. ALL thanks to @SenCoryGardner and @SteveDaines, two GREAT Conservative Leaders!”
The bill would remove the requirement that the LWCF funds must be appropriated and would make $900 million available each year. If yearly appropriations from the fund do not reach $900 million, additional funds would be credited into the LWCF from federal offshore oil and gas receipts, but amounts from the fund could only be spent if appropriated.
LWCF provides funding for additions to national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests and other federal public lands used for outdoor recreation and habitat preservation, and funds projects to protect drinking water resources, habitat for fish and wildlife, and private forestland, among other priorities.
“We are proud to announce that we have secured the president’s support to provide full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and address the maintenance backlog at our national parks, and the bipartisan group here today demonstrates the strong backing these programs benefit from in Congress,” said Sen. Gardner during the press conference. “The LWCF supports projects in Colorado and all across our country at no cost to the taxpayer, and fighting every year to figure out how much money the program will receive doesn’t provide the long-term planning certainty that our outdoor and conservation community deserves.”
Following the senators’ announcement, they received support from numerous groups, including the National Wildlife Federation; Glacier National Park; the Outdoor Alliance; the American Hiking Society; The Conservation Fund; the National Park Foundation; the RV Industry Association; the Outdoor Industry Association; and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, among others.
“I thank President Trump and Leader McConnell for their support and look forward to getting full, permanent funding signed into law,” Sen. Gardner said.