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As members of Congress debate another round of legislation to blunt the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn, Western leaders are pushing them to fund critical conservation programs. More than 100 elected officials have urged Congress to include full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provide resources to address the growing backlog of maintenance projects in our national parks.
"I view LWCF as a critical tool for economic recovery," said La Plata County Commissioner Gwen Lachelt. "It puts contractors to work and the people who work for those contractors to work.” Some groups have also proposed innovative efforts to put laid off oil, gas, and coal employees back to work cleaning up abandoned mines and plugging orphaned wells.
Investing in our public lands can be a key part of recovering from our public health and economic crises. Bozeman Mayor Chris Mell notes, "In the weeks and months to come, our parks, trails and outdoor spaces will be integral to both our national and local coping and recovery. Great parks and green spaces—at the local, state, and national levels—make for stronger, healthier communities."
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It is insulting, particularly to Native communities and those in rural parts of New Mexico during a global pandemic, to shove through a planning process that will shape how these irreplaceable lands and cultural icons are managed for decades.”
