Washington, D.C. — Today, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The legislation would address the maintenance backlogs at key agencies, including the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Education. In response, Christy Goldfuss, senior vice president for Energy and Environment Policy at the Center for American Progress, made the following statement:
The promise of clear and dedicated funding for America’s parks and public lands is long past due. This bipartisan measure is a credit to the work of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has shown true leadership on conservation during such divided times.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of the most effective and popular government programs, allowing for the protection of water, wildlife, and other natural places that define us as a nation. It covers everything from national parks to baseball fields to Civil War battlefields to everything in between. Similarly, the Restore Our Parks Act will not only bring necessary funding to our National Parks but will also address needs at agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Education and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It’s time for Congress to stop diverting funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and to instead fulfill its promise to the nation by permanently funding this program. We are eager to see this measure move swiftly through Congress and be signed into law.
For more information or to talk to an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.