Bipartisan House bill adds momentum to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, NM
Mason Cummings, The Wilderness Society
House "Great American Outdoors Act" spotlights bipartisan energy in Congress to fully fund parks and public lands
Today, Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) and 11 of his colleagues introduced the Great American Outdoors Act (H.R.7092), bipartisan legislation to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address priority maintenance needs on our national parks and other public lands. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Mike Simpson (R-ID), TJ Cox (D-CA), John Katko (R-NY), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Kendra Horn (D-OK), Steve Stivers (R-OH), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) joined Rep. Cunningham as original cosponsors.
The bill is companion legislation to S.3422, introduced in March by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), and which currently has 59 bipartisan cosponsors. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced the Senate version of the Great American Outdoors Act will see floor time and a vote as soon as next week.
Statement from Jamie Williams, President of The Wilderness Society:
“Today’s bipartisan House introduction of the Great American Outdoors Act gives an invigorating jolt to the growing momentum in Congress to fully fund our parks and public lands. The COVID pandemic has shown just how critical our national, state and local parks, trails and public lands are to the economies of communities across the country. And it is clearer than ever that we need more and safer outdoor spaces for people in every community to experience the health and emotional benefits of time spent with nature.
“With strong bipartisan support and tireless leadership from long-term and first-term champions, Congress has a chance to put people to work, promote economic recovery for some of our hardest-hit communities, and provide for the care of parks and public lands for generations to come by permanently and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund and investing in the repair of national parks and public lands infrastructure. We thank these champions and urge both chambers of Congress to drive this legislation over the finish line and send the Great American Outdoors Act to the President’s desk.”
CONTACT:
Kerry Leslie, Communications Manager, The Wilderness Society, (415) 398-1484, kerry_leslie@tws.org
The Wilderness Society is the leading conservation organization working to unite people to protect America's wild places. Founded in 1935, and now with more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 111 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org
