Prickly Pear Land Trust executive director Mary Hollow’s guest column in the Sunday, May 3, Helena Independent Record makes a case for quick passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. Among the provisions within the Great American Outdoors Act is full permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

“When our leaders in Congress established LWCF 56 years ago, little did they know that their bipartisan commitment to safeguarding our natural areas would be one of the constants for their children and grandchildren in a COVID-19 reality,” writes Hollow. “From Glacier and Yellowstone National parks to eastern Montana, our pristine outdoors feed our souls but they also drive this state’s economy. LWCF delivers pristine wildlife habitat and urban parks alike. It bridges rural urban divides, and Montana’s future economic and physical well-being depends on it; because our outdoor places fuel commerce for our Main Street businesses and large enterprises alike.”

“Today, as Congress works toward passing another COVID-19 package, they have the opportunity to pass the Great American Outdoors Act to fully fund LWCF, take care of the lands we love, and make smart investments in natural infrastructure that fuels our economy. Those investments will pay dividends for our natural systems –  and the generations who inhabit them – forever,” she adds.