U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) signed a letter earlier this week urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to make permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) a priority.
“The LWCF is one of the most critical tools we have for protecting our nation’s natural treasures,” Gardner said. “Its permanent reauthorization is supported by sportsmen, hunters and many other Coloradans who appreciate the outdoors. It’s a responsible fiscal partnership and provides countless benefits.”
The LWCF provides monies for conservation practices, and also supports programs and facilities that provide public access to the outdoors.
Gardner has long been a proponent of the idea to make the authorization permanent, voting for it in January (when the legislation fell one vote shy of passage). He also voted in favor of the provision in the bipartisan energy bill, which passed through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year by a vote of 18-4.
“I’ve supported making the LWCF’s authorization permanent throughout my time in the Senate, and I will continue to work toward making that goal a reality,” Gardner concluded. “I’m proud to join this letter and will continue to press Senate leadership for a permanent solution to responsibly funding the preservation of public lands.”
More than 50 Senators signed the letter, which read in part: “Lasting authorization and consistent funding of the LWCF will help ensure that the Fund plays the strongest possible role in revitalizing local communities. America’s outdoor recreation, conservation, and preservation economies contribute over $1 trillion to the nation’s economy each year and support 9.4 million American jobs, this is one out of every 15 jobs in the U.S. Support for public lands among the American public remains consistently and overwhelmingly strong.”