Steve Blackledge
Senior Director, Conservation America Campaign, Environment America
Senior Director, Conservation America Campaign, Environment America
Environment America
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually and provide $9.5 billion over five years to fix maintenance problems that are plaguing America’s public lands. With a vote of 310-107, the bill garnered considerable bipartisan support and now heads to the President’s desk.
Alongside other environmental organizations, hunting and fishing groups, outdoor recreation businesses and more, Environment America has prioritized the LWCF, America’s best conservation and recreation program, for years. Utilizing billboards in several states; lawn signs and banners; a steady series of op-eds; and a continual presence on Capitol Hill and in congressional districts, we have urged lawmakers to invest in America’s great outdoors.
In response to the House’s vote, Environment America’s Acting President Wendy Wendlandt released the following statement:
“The Great American Outdoors Act embraces what we all know to be true: protecting and enhancing our public lands is an essential part of the American ethos. By locking in $900 million a year for outdoor projects, plus providing a short-term infusion of money to address maintenance issues, the House is reaffirming that commitment to the natural world.
“Whether it’s local parks and hiking trails or national parks or forests, Americans love and utilize public lands. This bill is not only an investment in outdoor spaces but also in our health and psyche.
“With today’s passage of this bill, we’re one step away from putting a lock and key on funding that has always been intended for conservation projects — yet consistently diverted to other purposes. We’re closer to adopting a new consciousness for today’s world, that our lives are made richer if surrounded by more nature, rather than more extracted resources.
“We applaud the House’s bipartisan passage of the Great American Outdoors Act and ask that President Trump sign this important bill.”
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Environment America is a national network of 29 state environmental groups. Our staff work together for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members across the United States put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. Environment America is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.