At a time of national crisis, the United States Senate has been able to come together on a topic both parties celebrate: the great outdoors. In a historic 73 to 25 bipartisan vote, the Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act—bringing us one step closer to finally providing full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Save Mount Diablo applauds the Senate for this important action.
Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was a bipartisan commitment to safeguard natural areas, water resources, and our cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. National parks like Rocky Mountain, the Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains, as well as national wildlife refuges, national forests, rivers and lakes, community parks, trails, and ball fields in every one of our 50 states were set aside for Americans to enjoy thanks to federal funds from the LWCF.
The LWCF has supported over 41,000 state and local park projects, contributing $778 billion to the nation’s economy annually and providing 5.2 million sustainable jobs nationwide. Yet it has only been fully funded once in its history.
Today’s vote will lead to the conservation of local, state, and national treasures, providing more Americans with access to the outdoors while contributing more to the nation’s economy and securing more jobs. It is therefore not only historically significant, but incredibly important as people seek these lands for respite and recreation and as our country fights to restore our economy and get people back to work.
Please take a moment to thank members of the Senate who voted in favor of this landmark legislation. Acknowledge the importance of funding our parks, public lands, and outdoor recreation infrastructure during this critical time in our nation’s history. Passing this bill will ensure this critical program continues to protect our natural infrastructure and the lands we hold so dear.
We must now turn our focus to the U.S. House of Representatives, which is expected to take up the bill the week of June 29 for final passage. It’s time to finish the job by calling and emailing your representative and urging them to vote “yea” on the Great American Outdoors Act. To find your representative, click here.
Passing the Great American Outdoors Act is not only a historic event. It’s a chance to strengthen conservation, restore our economy, create much needed jobs, and, in general, brighten the health and well-being of this great land. The time to get it done is now.
