Legislation working its way through Congress would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Committees in both chambers have favorably reported and sent to their respective floors very similar versions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act (S. 1081 and H.R. 3195). The act would restart the expired program, starting in 2020.
The fund is great for recreation because it doesn’t come out of general tax revenue – but mostly from a fee oil and gas companies pay for drilling on federal land. The bill would guarantee $900 billion a year to states for recreational purposes, such as bike trails. In previous years, states didn’t get to use all the money. So if it passes, we may see a mini-windfall for outdoor recreation.
