Two Gardner-supported measures to support conservation, national parks advance in Senate

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Nov. 19 approved two pieces of legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), one to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and another to invest in national parks across the country.

“This is a commonsense, bipartisan program that comes at no cost to the taxpayer, and I’m glad to see the committee move this bill forward today to fully and permanently fund this critical conservation program so future generations of Coloradans will have access to our great outdoors,” said Sen. Gardner, referring to the LWCF, which he called “the crown jewel of conservation programs.”

“Now that we have successfully permanently authorized the program,” the congressman added, “the next step is to make the funding of the program automatic.”

The committee on Tuesday approved the amended Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, S. 1081, by a vote of 13-7. Sen. Gardner is the lead original cosponsor of S. 1081 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). The bill has 48 other cosponsors and heads to the full Senate for action.

“Colorado projects rely on LWCF funding and fighting year after year about how much money to provide the program does not provide the long-term planning certainty our outdoor and conservation communities deserve,” Sen. Gardner said.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee also approved the Restore Our Parks Act, S. 500, to address the $12 billion park maintenance backlog and to establish the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund.

Sen. Gardner is an original cosponsor of S. 500 with bill sponsor and cosponsor, respectively, U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The measure has 43 other cosponsors and also heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“We have to provide Colorado’s parks the funding necessary to help address the billions of dollars in deferred maintenance that the park system is currently facing,” Sen. Gardner said following the committee’s 15-5 vote. “The Restore our Parks Act will protect these lands by allowing for needed investments for park infrastructure and preservation projects.”

The committee also advanced a Gardner-backed effort to reauthorize and increase funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program, among several other actions on nominations and legislation.