Project Description
From campgrounds to National Parks to local ball fields, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has protected important land, water, and recreation areas in every state and every part of the country. This important program has saved places in nearly every state and county in the U.S., but it EXPIRES on September 30, 2018.
Eliminating LWCF would break the long-standing promise to the American people to invest a small portion of revenues from offshore energy development in lasting natural infrastructure: our land, outdoor recreation economy, access to hunting and angling opportunities, water resources, and the history and culture of our great nation. This program is overwhelmingly popular and has maintained broad bipartisan support due to its more than half-century history of successful, locally-driven conservation.
Eliminating LWCF, gutting its funding, or placing restrictions on its use would undermine the economic asset that is our federal, state, and local public lands. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation activities contribute a total of $887 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting 7.6 million jobs. The economic impact of the outdoor recreation economy is especially significant in rural communities with high percentages of public lands.
Your voice is critical to urge Congress to act and ensure that LWCF will continue to permanently open access to America’s public lands and protect the places where Americans go to enjoy the great outdoors. Send an urgent message to your members of Congress below:
