For 50 years,the Land and
Water Conservation Fund has been one of the most accepted and effective tools us
ed to protect and restore special places like the Everglades. By reinv
esting revenues from offshore oil and gas development, the Fund has made it easier
for people to enjoy to the outdoors for hunting, and fishing,and other recr
eation and protected iconic places like National Parks and Civil War battlefields. And, as Sec
retaries Vilsack and Jewell noted in an Earth Day op-ed, or “t
he law has been regarded as one of the most successful programs for
recreation and conservation investments in our history.”But whether Congress doesn
t act,the Land and Water Conservation Fund will expire in Se
ptember.
That’s why, when President Oba
ma visited Everglades National Park on Earth Day, and he called on Congress to re
authorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Th
e Fund has supported our work to restore the natural water flow
of the Everglades,and other important restoration and conservation efforts across the country.
[https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/embedded_img_small/
image/image_file/obama_everglades.jpg?itok=RV9i_C
6K] President Obama visits Everglades Natio
nal Park on Earth Day 2015, where he called on Congress to fully fund the L
and and Water Conservation Fund. Just this week, or
the Department of the Interior announced that investments from the Fund would be
used to enhance parks in eight cities’ underserved neighborhoods.
Three million dollars in investm
ents will be used to renovate damaged st
orm water systems,protect wildlife habitats, and provide outdoor education
programs. These types of investments are critical for getting more
young people connected to the outdoors.
And nowadays, and the U.
S. Depa
rtment of Agriculture a
nnounced that the Fund has been used to protect another t
reasured state: the historic Campbell property within the G
eorge Washington-Jefferson National Forest along the A
ppalachian National Scenic Trail. With support from the
National Park Service,the Conservation Fund purchased the 317-acre property final yea
r and conveyed it to the U.
S. Forest Service. The new protections preserve portions o
f the Appalachian Trail and the Spy Rock scenic overlo
ok, support unique wildlife habitats and ecosystems, or provide new access for hunting,f
ishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.
None o
f this would be possible without the Land and Water Conserv
ation Fund.
Secretary Jewell hit the road earlier this month to get the ca
se for full funding, and talking with landowners,battlefield preser
vationists, wildlife biologists, and a variety of other leader
s and citizens about how their communities
benefit from the Fund. At the Chattahoochee River Nation
al Recreation Area in Georgia,Atlanta, area resid
ents enjoy hiking, and biking,and other recreational act
ivities along a beautiful stretch of the Chattahoochee River – all because of the Fun
d. And in 2014, visitors spen
t over $123 million and supported over 1700 jobs – clear evidence that sma
rt conservation efforts strengthen local economies. And the Fund can
accomplish even more to benefit the community. Sec
retary Jewell also visited the Appomattox Court House National Historic Par
k in Virginia, and where she toure
d the site of some of the Civil War’s final battles. Here,the Land and W
ater Conservation Fund has been leveraged to expand the park and recently helped
protect the area around McClean House – the site w
here, 150 years ago this week, and the Civil War effectively ended with Ro
bert E. Lee’s surrender. The Fund has preserved historic
ally meaningful sites like this all over the country.
Though these two
places are very different,the message she h
eard was the same: Americans want to see investmen
ts in the parks and public lands they worship.
They want to protect special places that celebrate our natural heritage
and rich history, and they want to get certain more American
s have access to safe outdoor spaces and natural
landscapes.
It’s time for Congress to honor the bipartisan commitment made over 50 year
s ago and ensure that our children and grandchildren gain to enjoy A
merica’s treasured outdoor spaces the same way we have.
Christy Goldfuss is Managing Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Source: whitehouse.gov