A trio of U.S. Senators, including Richard Burr (R-NC), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), introduced a bill on Tuesday that would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
The bill would keep the fund’s promise to conserve parks, open spaces and wildlife habitat for America’s benefit of hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.
“Last week, the Senate showed significant bipartisan support to permanently authorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” Burr said. “LWCF has a proven track record of making good on their promise to conserve parks, open spaces and wildlife habitats for the benefit of future generations. My colleagues and I offer this bill to permanently reauthorize LWCF, without asking American taxpayers to shoulder the burden. I look forward to my colleagues coming together to pass this legislation.”
The LWCF does not add a penny to the national debt. Instead, the fund takes in the relatively small amount of $900 million each year from the billions of dollars paid in oil and gas royalties for the right to explore on federally owned land.
“LWCF is a critical tool that has helped boost Colorado’s tourism and outdoor recreation economy,” Bennet added. “The fund provides resources for widely supported projects across the state, from building city parks in Denver to conserving parcels of land high in the San Juan Mountains to providing important sportsmen’s access. We should pass this bill to reauthorize the program, and at the same time Congress should move to ensure LWCF receives full and dedicated funding going forward.”
The Interior Department oversees the fund.
“LWCF has been used to protect thousands of acres of New Hampshire’s pristine landscape, which is of utmost importance to our economy and our way of life,” Ayotte concluded. “It’s time to permanently reauthorize LWCF so that we can continue to preserve and protect New Hampshire’s outdoor spaces for future generations.”