WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) led a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter urging the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) before its expiration on September 30, 2018.
“The LWCF is one of the country’s best conservation programs, preserving public lands and ensuring access to outdoor recreation in rural and urban areas,” the letter states. “For the last half century, it has protected lands, historic sites, national parks, wilderness areas, and urban parks in every state… It is critical that this program be reauthorized before its expiration on September 30, 2018.”
The LWCF has supported more than 42,000 state and local projects in communities across the country. The program is funded by a portion of federal oil and gas royalties, operating without any taxpayer funding. However, according to the letter, since its founding in 1965 more than $21 billion has been diverted from the LWCF trust fund to other purposes.
“For the economy, sportsmen, veterans, wildlife, and our kids and grandkids, we must permanently reauthorize LWCF,” the letter continues. “We also strongly request that you include mandatory full funding in any LWCF reauthorization package. We look forward to working with you to resolve this pressing issue.”
The following senators signed on to the letter, which you can view here:
Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.)
Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Senator Tom Udall (D-Utah)
Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
Senator Angus King (I-Maine)
Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
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