With the Land and Water Conservation Fund expired, MALT is part of a national effort to push toward LWCF reauthorization during the land duck session of Congress. Here are LWCF talking points from the Montana LWCF Coalition: * The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been expired for 45 days, resulting in over $100 million lost to conservation and recreation access priorities from the OCS revenues promised to this program over 50 years ago. This is on top of the $22 billion that has been lost over the life of the program as LWCF funds have been diverted to other, unknown purposes. The time is now for honest budgeting: Congress must act in the lame duck session to restore LWCF and protect its future with a permanent reauthorization and full, dedicated funding. *Momentum has been building throughout 2018 for both permanent reauthorization and dedicated funding of LWCF, which powers our $887 billion outdoor recreation economy. Just before the recess, both House and Senate Committees moved LWCF legislation by wide bipartisan margins – now we need to keep that forward progress going in end-of-year negotiations. * Despite a huge outcry over expiration and massive bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, Leadership has thus far refused to give LWCF a vote or include it in a package on the Floor. While vehicles may be limited in lame duck, Congress will have to negotiate some sort of end-of-year package and it will be an utter failure on Congress’s part if LWCF is not included. Members must push Leadership to act on behalf of constituents and stakeholders who have made it clear: LWCF is a huge priority for Montana! * We need your help now more than ever to ensure the travesty of LWCF’s expiration is fixed in lame duck, with a long-term solution that will prevent this from happening again. Please urge Leadership to address LWCF permanent reauthorization and dedicated funding before Congress adjourns!
