On February 12, the U.S. Senate passed a sweeping package of public lands bills, including a measure to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired last September.

The U.S. House must still approve the measure before it goes to the President for his action.  The House is due back in session the week of February 25.

The package also includes many other wins for the conservation of our natural resources, including provisions to protect thousands of acres of wilderness and support endangered species’ recovery in the Colorado River.

The following is a statement by Kameran Onley, director of U.S. Government Relations at The Nature Conservancy:

“Today’s vote is a big step toward ending the cycle of uncertainty that has plagued America’s best conservation program. The overwhelming vote in favor of reauthorization reflects the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s long track record of success and broad support from lawmakers, landowners, conservation organizations and state and local officials.

“For more than half a century, LWCF has balanced the use of one public resource, oil and gas drilling revenues, by conserving others. At no cost to the taxpayer, LWCF has helped expand national parks, preserve pristine landscapes, and create trails and athletic fields across the country. But the program has faced significant challenges from the instability that comes with expiring twice in three years, making it harder to carry out the long-term planning landowners depend on to conserve their lands and waters. 

“Thanks to the incredible effort by LWCF’s champions both in this Congress and the last, the Senate made reauthorization and the broader public lands package one of its top priorities for the year.

“We hope the House of Representatives will continue that momentum and move quickly to approve this package so we can continue to conserve our country’s most valued places.”

“This Public Lands package is an incredible victory for the sporting community,” said Aaron Kindle, senior manager of western sporting campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation. “It conserves both programs and lands we love and ensures sporting opportunities for years to come. We really need to see this package cross the finish and put a bow on many years of hard work.”

In addition to permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the bill includes--

-- WILD Act to conserve endangered species, combat invasive species (including Asian carp) and fight poaching;

-- Reauthorizes Neotropical Migratory Bird Act;

-- Allows the transport bows through national parks;

-- Adopts the policy that federal public lands will be open hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless deemed otherwise closed for specific reasons;

-- Requires studying and identifying federal lands that could be opened to hunting, fishing and recreation activities;

-- Facilitates the construction and expansion of public target ranges, including ranges on Federal land managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; and

-- Designates new wilderness, wild and scenic river, steelhead management area, and desert conservation areas.

Click Here for more information on the package from the National Wildlife Federation.

For the latest on reauthorization, visit the Save the Land & Water Conservation Fund website.

For more on the impact of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Pennsylvania, visit the PA Environmental Council website.

Visit The Nature Conservancy-PA webpage to learn more about programs, initiatives and events in Pennsylvania.

NewsClips:

U.S. Senate Just Passed The Decade’s Biggest Public Lands Package, Here’s What’s In It

Senate Action On Land & Water Conservation Fund Overdue Victory For Parks, Wildlife

Federal Public Lands Bill Includes Help For Pittsburgh’s Steel Heritage Area

Op-Ed: Reauthorize Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund - DCNR Secretary Dunn

Editorial: Public Lands Bill, Governance In Public Interest Isn’t Dead Yet

Related Stories:

Feds Award Delaware River Watershed Restoration & Conservation Program $6 Million For 2019

CBF: EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program Fully Funded By Congress

[Posted: Feb. 12, 2019]

2/18/2019