SAVE OUR PARKS NOW.
Senator Cory Gardner sure sounded like he supported Colorado’s public lands and parks when he voted to make the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. But his vote for an LWCF with an empty bank account paired with his vote for an Interior Secretary nominee who supports totally zeroing out LWCF funding speaks volumes.
While he yelled at fellow Republican Mike Lee (UT) on the Senate floor over the LWCF legislation, he continues to work closely with President Trump, saying nothing against the administration’s budget that would nearly zero out the bank account for this critical public lands and parks program.
Gardner tries to sound like he supports this critical conservation fund, but his Colorado constituents can see through the fog. He can repeat the talking points any day, but when it comes to action and protection of our outdoor heritage, he has faltered time and again. Coloradans and the LWCF have waited long enough for action by Senator Gardner.
Colorado’s booming economy includes a robust outdoor recreation economy. The outdoor recreation contributes $62 billion, fosters 511,000 jobs, and spans a vast 92% participation rate by Coloradans, who partake in some form of outdoor recreation every year. Outdoor recreation ranks fourth against other economic sectors across the country, making it a key part of Colorado’s ability to thrive and grow.
But Colorado’s public lands and national parks are in danger. Unless Senator Garnder stands up and permanently and fully funds the LWCF, he is risking our public lands being sold off to the highest bidder.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been America’s most successful conservation, outdoor recreation, parks, and public access tool.
Established in 1964 by Congress, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was created to ensure our public lands and outdoor heritage would exist and thrive for generations to come.
Through bipartisan cooperation, Congress sought to safeguard waterways and air quality, protect public lands and increase public access while enshrining outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans.
The LWCF does not cost taxpayers a dime; instead, the fund invests royalties from offshore oil and gas leasing back into conservation efforts across the country.
Since its creation in 1964, Congress has only allocated the full $900 million allowed under the act a handful of times, meaning America’s public lands, parks, and public access continue to suffer.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund not only protects our public lands, but it also goes above and beyond to conserve outdoor spaces and maintains them for future generations. The LWCF opens access to sportswomen and men, hunters and anglers, hikers and boaters, expanding public access at the federal, state, and local levels. By increasing access, the LWCF stimulates economic opportunity in local, rural communities — the outdoor industry now contributes $887 billion a year to the national economy.
The LWCF preserves water resources, from the wetlands to watersheds, from mountain streams to the raging rivers. It provides a streamlined system for federal land management, reducing costs and consolidating overhead. The LWCF looks after rural communities, working with farmers and private landowners.
Our treasured outdoor heritage could not thrive if the LWCF did not exist. It works to protect historical and cultural sites, commemorating our national memory, from civil war battlefields to the Lincoln Memorial.
Our lands and waters, from the rolling hills of North Carolina to the steep peaks in Northern Washington need the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The LWCF invests America’s shared resources back into our public lands in order to preserve them today and for generations to come.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund was signed into permanent law on March 12, 2019. After decades of requiring renewal each year, the creation of a permanent law was a huge win for America’s parks and public lands. Unfortunately, Congress passed the LWCF without funding.
Currently, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (H.R. 3195) proposed by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ), Committee Chair Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) would provide full, dedicated funding to the LWCF. H.R. 3195 is backed by bipartisan support. The bill recently passed through its first House committee vote.
In the Senate, partner legislation was proposed to ensure full and permanent funding for the LWCF. Sen. Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Gardner (R-CO) introduced the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (S. 1081), again gaining bipartisan support. The legislation has not been taken up by the committee for a vote but recently, the committee heard from a panel of interested parties concerning the bill.
Despite continued bipartisan support for the fund, the Trump administration has proposed nearly zeroing out the program in its latest budget.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund uses revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leases to conserve public lands and enhance public access in all fifty states.
The program was created based on the simple idea: if we deplete a shared resource owned by the American people in one area, we should support the enhancement of other outdoor areas. The intent was to strengthen and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities for all Americans through land acquisitions, wildlife and public land protections, enhanced public access, trail improvements, and the creation and support for parks.