Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) signed onto a letter urging House leaders to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) before it expires on Sept. 30.

“The LWCF is crucial for protecting the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and is important to our economy. Outdoor recreation supports more than 200,000 jobs in our state and contributes $20 billion a year to Washington state’s economy,” DelBene said. “The fund costs taxpayers nothing, and I strongly urge House leaders to ensure its reauthorization.”

The LWCF authorization is set to expire at the end of the month. Since it was established in 1965, the LWCF has invested $637 million in Washington projects, including three grants for North Creek Forest, which DelBene recently toured.

DelBene also spoke on the House floor in support of LWCF.

The full letter follows:

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,

We write to urge immediate action to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). After 50 years as one of our country’s most successful outdoor recreation and conservation programs, LWCF needs to be reauthorized by Congress before September 30, 2015.

If LWCF is not reauthorized, every state and district in the country will feel the damaging consequences to our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural landmarks. Furthermore, jobs and economic development in our districts will suffer. Studies have found that every dollar invested in land acquisition or improvement generates a $4 return for communities, and the broader outdoor recreation and conservation economy is responsible for more than $600 billion in consumer spending every year.

LWCF is our nation’s premiere program to help local communities protect the places they love. It has conserved iconic landscapes in every state and is responsible for more than 40,000 state and local outdoor recreation projects such as playgrounds, parks, refuges, and baseball fields. Unlike many other programs, LWCF is already paid for. LWCF funds are primarily derived from oil and gas receipts paid to the federal government by energy companies that extract publicly-owned resources from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
 
With such widespread impact, there is strong bipartisan support behind LWCF, and 88% of Americans want Congress to preserve it. We strongly urge you to schedule a vote to reauthorize the program before its September 30, 2015 expiration. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

CC:      The Honorable Rob Bishop, Chairman, Natural Resources Committee
            The Honorable Raul M. Grijalva, Ranking Member, Natural Resources Committee

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