Outdoor Industry tells Congress to full fund LWCF!

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Dozens of outdoor recreation business owners across the country are calling on congressional appropriators to put $900 million into the Land and Water Conservation Fund in fiscal 2020.
“Outdoor recreation is an $887 billion — and growing — industry,” the group wrote in a lettertoday to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), the respective chairwomen of the congressional appropriations subcommittees overseeing the Interior Department, and their ranking members, Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio).

“Throughout the nation, outdoor recreation supports 7.6 million direct jobs and brings in $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue,” the group said.

Congress earlier this year appropriated $435 million for LWCF in fiscal 2019 and permanently reauthorized the popular bipartisan conservation program in February — a major win for supporters (E&E Daily, Feb. 27). The authorized funding level for LWCF is $900 million, but it’s hardly ever been funded at that level.

LWCF uses revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling primarily to preserve and maintain the nation’s parks, forests, recreation areas and cultural sites. It’s a favorite of many members of Congress because it’s a program that doesn’t use taxpayer dollars and is popular with constituents across the country.

President Trump’s fiscal 2020 budget recommends essentially zeroing out LWCF, similar to his fiscal 2019 request (E&E Daily, March 12).

McCollum’s committee has a hearing scheduled tomorrow morning for the administration’s fiscal 2020 budget request with Scott Cameron, Interior principal deputy assistant secretary for policy, management and budget.

Some of the outdoor recreation business owners are headed to Capitol Hill this week to remind lawmakers of the importance of LWCF to their bottom line and their communities’ economic health.

“As business owners in gateway communities that rely on access to public lands and recreation for economic drivers, we know the importance of LWCF in providing access to open spaces to bike, hunt, fish, climb, paddle, hike, swim and play,” wrote the 30 outdoor recreation business owners from states including California, Colorado, New Hampshire, New York and Utah.

Ed. note. Fully funding LWCF as recommended by the outdoor businesses would result in over $ 400 million a year in state and local outdoor recreation grants.. A tripling of the current FY 19 level of funding.