Jewell asking for 'full and mandatory' LWCF funding

If you spent the Fourth of July weekend outdoors anywhere across America, there's a good chance you visited public parks, monuments or public lands that belong to you and all Americans thanks to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

This fund was created by Congress in 1964 with the purpose of taking some of the royalty revenue from offshore oil drilling in American waters and investing that revenue in public lands protection and acquisition efforts. As Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said Monday on a call with reporters across the nation, "If you take something out, you put something back in."

Every year, $900 million of offshore royalty revenues are deposited in the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s account.  Trouble is, in order for the funding to be put to use on the ground it must be appropriated by Congress.  Since the fund was created almost 50 years ago, it's only been fully funded by Congress to the tune of $900 million one time.

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As anglers, we understand the very visceral connection between access to intact habitat on our public lands and the success we enjoy when we cast a fly or dunk a worm. The Land and Water ConservationFund hasbeen used over the last half-century to provide angling opportunity where none existed before, or to enhance opportunity where access was difficult or where habitat was compromised. In other words, the funds from offshore oil and gas revenue were reinvested in lands that belong to all Americans to make our fishing better. Or our hunting grounds easier to access... our hiking trails, parks, golf courses, monuments and battlefields accessible to everyone.

This year, the Land and Water Conservation Fund comes up for reauthorization in Congress, and it's not a slam dunk--in fact, there are some in Congress that would be fine of the fund was completely eliminated. That would be foolish. Consider this: for every dollar invested in public lands, communities adjacent to those public lands see a return of $4. Consider, too, that outdoor recreation in the United States contributes well north of $600 billion to the national economy every year, and provides more than 6 million jobs.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why Jewell credits Congress in 1964 with incredible "wisdom and foresight" for creating the fund to begin with. As Mike Boots, acting chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality said on the call Monday, the fund "hasn't cost the American taxpayer one cent" in the 50 years it's been in existence. Rather, it would seem, Congress has been consistently missing the opportunity to help local economies completely realize the economic benefits of more public land access for nearly half a century by not fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

It's time Congress come to grips with the fact that outdoor recreation is big business in this country--fishing alone contributes some $50 billion to the nation's economy every single year. By improving access and opportunity for fishing and a whole host of outdoor activities, Congress would give local economies the much-needed boost they need.

First, it must reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Then, it must fund it completely to get the most out of this important investment.

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"It showed great wisdom and foresight 50 years ago when Congress created the fund," Jewell said. "I hope, 50 years from now, people will be able to thank this Congress for its wisdom and foresight for reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund."

Contact your state's federal delegation and ask them to reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It's good for fishing and outdoor recreation, and it's good for our economy.

This year, the Land and Water Conservation Fund comes up for reauthorization in Congress, and it's not a slam dunk--in fact, there are some in the federal legislature who would be fine if the fund was completely eliminated and the money in it used for other short-sighted purposes. Thatwould be foolish. Consider this: for every dollar invested in public lands, communities adjacent to those public lands see a return of $4. Consider, too, that outdoor recreation in the United States contributes well north of $600 billion to the national economy every year, and provides more than 6 million jobs. 

Since the fund was created almost 50 years ago, it's only been fully funded by Congress to the tune of $900 million one time. 

With that in mind, it's easy to see why Jewell credits Congress in 1964 with incredible "wisdom and foresight" for creating the fund to begin with. As Mike Boots, acting chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said on the call Monday, the fund "hasn't cost the American taxpayer one cent" in the 50 years it's been in existance. Rather, it would seem, Congress has been consistently missing the opportuntiy to help local economies completely realize the economic benefits of more public land access for nearly half a century by not fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. 

It's time Congress come to grips with the fact that outdoor recreation is big business in this country--fishing alone contributes some $50 billion to the nation's economy every single year. By improving access and opportunity for fishing and a whole host of outdoor activities, Congress would give local economies the much-needed boost they need.

First, it must reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Then, it must fund it completely to get the most out of this important investment. 

"It showed great wisdom and foresight 50 years ago when Congress created the fund," Jewell said. "I hope, 50 years from now, people will be able to thank this Congress for its wisdom and foresight for reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund."

Contact your state's federal delegation and ask them to reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It's good for fishing and outdoor recreation, and it's good for our economy.