By the time this is published, the deadline for reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), may have come and gone. Expiring September, 18, 2018, the LWCF was created on the heels of the Wilderness Act. It utilizes NO Taxpayer dollars to protect national parks, ensures access for hunting and fishing, open space purchases for playgrounds, sports fields, bike paths, hiking trails and much more—all on federal, state, local and private lands and waters.

A small portion from offshore Oil and gas revenues (royalties) contribute to this fund. To date, $17.5 billion in royalties has reached the ground in every county in America. Originally earmarked at $900M annually, it has only been fully funded once.

Additionally, over its 52 year life more than $20 billion has been diverted elsewhere, and the FY2019 proposed budget is only $425 million, and seeks to reduce the Royalty rate from 18.75% down to 12.5%; IF reauthorized. Funds reach each state in a population-ranked manner thus, at four-million residents Oregon is in the lower third of all states in receiving monies (e.g. WA $637M).

 Over the last five decades, Oregon, as an example,  has received $313 million, for nearly 1,600 projects in every county and nearly every town in our state. LWCF has funded the Forest Legacy Program (FLP) grants which help protect working forests, and State Parks grants program. LWCF protects watersheds and clean drinking water supplies—all the while providing sustainable, domestic jobs in urban and rural communities.

If you don't know about LWCF, here is a great report: http://westernpriorities.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/LWCFReport_Aug_2018_final.pdf

Get to know LWCF, it's legacy and how you can contact your Congressional delegates in Washington D.C. and tell them to vote for reauthorization of the LWCF!!

https://www.contactingcongress.org/

(202) 224-3121 For the Switchboard operator to find the 535 elected Officials in Washington D.C.

My hope is the fund is reauthorized, fully funded and scaled for inflation.