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Significant progress has been made on advancing Land and Water Conservation Fund legislation in both the House and Senate. The House Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed H.R. 502 to permanently reauthorize the program. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the bipartisan S. 569, which permanently reauthorizes and fully dedicates funding to LWCF.
We applaud these efforts, but more work remains to be done. LWCF must be included in an end-of-the-year legislative package.
Since LWCF’s inception 54 years ago, it’s funded 40,000 projects in the United States without spending taxpayer dollars. LWCF leverages our annual $887 billion outdoor recreation economy with a 1 to 4 ratio – every dollar invested quadruples economic revenues. Places like Tenderfoot Creek, Montana, and Louisiana’s Bayou Sauvage depend on LWCF to support local economies, enhance hunting and fishing opportunities, and maintain quality habitat for elk, pintail ducks, trout, and other game species that thrive on our public lands and waters.
We need your help! Contact your lawmakers right now. No matter their party affiliation, they need to hear from hunters and anglers like you about the importance of LWCF to ours and future generations. LWCF is too critical not to address before Congress leaves for the holidays. Ask your lawmakers to reach out to leadership and urge them to support legislation that permanently reauthorizes and fully dedicates funding to LWCF.
Tell the 115th Congress to use their final days to give sportsmen and women the best possible gift for the holidays: permanent reauthorization of LWCF and dedicated funding to safeguard our wild public lands, waters and wildlife.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
http://www.backcountryhunters.org/ |
