🚨 Ask Your Senators to Vote Yes with Fixes On Outdoors Act

In 1964 Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to protect our federal lands and waters. Through the enactment of S. 47 or The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act in 2019, the LWCF received permanent reauthorization.

Now, the Senate is gearing up to pass The Great American Outdoors Act, S. 3422 making the amount given to the LWCF permanent. If enacted, S. 3422 will establish a national trust mandating that $900 million from offshore oil and gas revenues be given to the LWCF. Additionally, the legislation will create the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Fund to address the backlog of maintenance needs on public lands and provide $9.5 billion in offshore energy revenues over a five-year period.

While The Great American Outdoors Act receives bipartisan support, Senators should use caution when passing a bill that is subject to so much money. For example, if enacted the LWCF would not be subject to the appropriations process through its permanent trust fund. This would create incentives for special interests to take advantage of the funding. Additionally, it limits Congress’ ability to reduce the amount of funds the federal government uses in the future to enact money-saving mechanisms. The federal government already owns too much land and the maintenance backlog points to its inability to properly care for so much land.

Eagle Forum joined on a coalition letter to the Senate asking for a few fixes to the legislation in the event it is passed. Specifically, the letter suggests that the LWCF trust should end in five years, like the maintenance backlog funding, to allow Congress a chance to review its need before re-authorization. Second, the letter asks Congress to ensure that federal land acquisition is approved by state and local authorities before being deemed public land, and third it asks for the end of eminent domain to seize public land.

Please join us in asking your Senator to only vote YES on The Great American Outdoor Act with these legislative fixes in the legislation.