NSIA is pleased to see Washington Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell along with Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden all show their support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in a recent letter to Senate leadership. The bi-partisan effort, signed by the majority of senators, including a dozen Republicans, urges Congress to reauthorize the LWCF prior to its September 30th deadline. If allowed to lapse, it would be the first time the program was not authorized in its 50 year history.
LWCF simply takes funds raised from offshore oil and gas drilling leases and puts that money back into financing projects for public use. The LWCF has contributed more than 100,000 acres of public lands in Oregon and Washington with much of that providing access to our bountiful fishing opportunities. You can find out more about LWCF here. NSIA is a strong advocate of LWCF because so much of our industry is dependent on anglers’ ability to access the waters that hold the fish we prize.
With less than a week before LWCF expires, Sen Murray called on Congress to act on this important program.
“As a nation, we have a duty to protect and preserve our natural resources for future generations, and the LWCF is one of the best tools we have,” Senator Murray said. “I am calling on my colleagues to consider permanent reauthorization in the coming days, so the fund continues to protect what so many Washington state families hold dear.”
You can read the full letter here provided by Senator Murray’s office.