Colorado director statement on Wilderness Society welcoming another step to full, permanent funding for Land and Water Conservation Fund

DENVER – "This bipartisan bill is the result of strong bipartisan support and constituent feedback to Senators Bennet and Gardner to prioritize full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” said Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director at The Wilderness Society.

“Efforts to fully fund this successful conservation program have had support from many Colorado leaders, including Governor Polis and former Governor Hickenlooper, and a majority of the state’s congressional delegation who voted for permanent reauthorization of the Fund early last year.”

"Coloradans will continue to call on our congressional leaders to stand up and pass this bill."

A Senate bill announced today would combine S.1081, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, and S.500, the Restore Our Parks Act, to permanently dedicate full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, at $900 million a year, while addressing a backlog of maintenance needs for our National Parks.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, instituted more than 50 years ago, was created to offset the use and damage to public resources from offshore oil drilling, at no expense to the taxpayer. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, and the push in Congress for full, permanent funding is a result of long-term and recent bipartisan champions.

This legislation would provide stable and consistent funding which will help ensure that ready-to-go, well-vetted conservation projects and critical needs can move ahead and not stall due to inconsistent funding levels.

Senator Gardner, Senator Bennet and Representatives DeGette, Tipton, Lamborn, Perlmutter, Neguse and Crow all supported legislation last year to permanently reauthorize the conservation fund.

Contact: Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director, 303-957-9183, jim_ramey@tws.org