Anonymous,

From the Grand Canyon's breathtaking vistas to the countless miles of canoe routes that run through the Boundary Waters, so many of our country's most treasured places have benefited from America's most successful conservation and recreation program: the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

You've probably seen a lot of emails from me over the past few months about LWCF. Back in September, Congress let the program expire -- but thanks to support from people like you, we were able to convince Congress to bring LWCF back.

Now, we're working to make sure Congress can't divert the program's funding to other projects, now or in the future, and we need your help adding a powerful voice to our call: Gov. Jared Polis.

Tell Gov. Polis: Stand up for conservation in Colorado.

Cross Mountain Ranch and Canyon of the Ancients National Monument are just two of the many places in Colorado that have benefited from LWCF. For more than 50 years, LWCF has funded conservation projects in places big and small, from Grand Canyon National Park to the Appalachian Trail, to local hiking trails and Little League fields.

Each year, $900 million is supposed to go into LWCF, but only once (in 2001) has Congress given LWCF its full funding.1 In recent years, the program has received about half of that.2 And the Trump administration's latest budget proposal all but zeroes it out, and tries to pull back $23 million that was already appropriated for it.3

That's why we've been calling on Congress to pass the Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act, a bipartisan bill that would make sure LWCF always gets its full share of the budget.4

Our call will be even more powerful with Gov. Polis on our side. By publicly joining us in support of LWCF, he can help make sure Colorado's representatives and senators make fully funding LWCF a priority.

Invite Gov. Polis to join our call to fully fund LWCF.

After all, this is about something bigger than the divisions that too often polarize our politics. This is about Colorado and the places that make it beautiful.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Bassett
Senior Associate

1. Sarah Vogelsong, "Trump, Congress make Land and Water Conservation Fund permanent," Bay Journal, April 8, 2019.
2. Marianne Goodland, "Trump signs bill reauthorizing conservation fund, but his budget has little money for it," Colorado Politics, March 12, 2019.
3. Rob Chaney, "Trump signs lands bill but budget rejects money for Land and Water Conservation Fund," Missoulian, March 12, 2019.
4. "S.1081 - Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act," Congress.gov, accessed July 18, 2019.