Urge the 116th Congress to Renew the LWCF Today!

Mailliard Ranch. Photo by John Birchard
LWCF dollars enable us to protect Mailliard Ranch and other forests. Photo by John Birchard
Now that the 116th Congress has taken office, your voice is needed. Urge your Member of Congress to support permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), America’s most useful and cost-effective conservation program. LWCF was allowed to expire last year, and so far the country has lost more than $230 million that should be used to protect redwood forests and other wildlands and make parks accessible.

For more than 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has served as the engine of America’s conservation and outdoor recreation movement. Without using a single taxpayer dollar, LWCF invests in our quality of life, a booming recreation economy, and our history and culture by using Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy revenue to conserve land and build parks.

This is America’s most important conservation program, which has protected iconic places like Muir Woods National Monument and connected people to the outdoors at the federal, state, and local levels, from coast to coast. LWCF helped make it possible for Save the Redwoods League to help expand Redwood National Park. Our work to protect Mailliard RanchWestfall Ranch, and other redwood forests is also made possible with funding from programs including the LWCF, leveraged with support from League members like you. We can’t protect and restore the redwoods without LWCF, or without you!

LWCF was poised for permanent reauthorization, with strong bipartisan support. However, during the lame duck session, leadership failed to bring the relevant legislation to a vote despite the great effort of its Congressional supporters. In the end, the program’s renewal was stymied by the budget gridlock, which resulted in the third government shutdown of 2018.

California has received more than $2.4 billion from the LWCF in the last 50 years, helping to build ball fields, protect forestlands, and expand access to outdoor recreation. With the passage of Prop 68, the $4.1 billion Park and Water Bond of 2018, California voters signaled their strong support for parks and land conservation. The federal government should share these priorities, which are broadly supported. Congress must capitalize on the rare bipartisan cooperation that LWCF inspires and permanently reauthorize the program with full funding. Our public lands deserve nothing less.

Contact Your Member of Congress

  1. Please reach out to your member of Congress today.
  2. Introduce yourself. Let your representative know where you are from and why you are reaching out.
  3. Mention your personal connection to the parks and waterways protected by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
  4. Consider sharing any of the talking points below that resonate with you.
  5. Ask your Member of Congress to support the renewal of LWCF and say that you’d like to see it fully funded.
  6. Be sure to thank the person you are speaking to and for passing on your concerns.

Talking Points

  • I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
  • Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.
  • The federal government, through LWCF, has long been a partner in creating urban parks across the country, particularly through State and Local assistance grants. LWCF has funded playgrounds, ball fields, and neighborhood parks providing close-to-home recreation for millions of American families. These local efforts are also on the chopping block.
  • Congress must capitalize on the rare bipartisan cooperation that LWCF inspires and renew the program with full funding. Bipartisan support for LWCF in Congress has been strong and consistent for over half a century.
  • I hope you will stand up and defend our most important conservation and recreation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To do otherwise will hurt both urban and rural communities in every state.

Learn more about LWCF and why it is our nation’s most critical conservation and recreation tool.

Avatar for Shelana deSilva

About the author

Shelana recently joined Save the Redwoods League as the Director of Government Affairs and Public Funding. She has a strong track record helping national and statewide nonprofits develop partnerships, lead campaigns and initiatives, and secure public funding to achieve their missions.


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28 Responses to “Urge the 116th Congress to Renew the LWCF Today!”

  1. Carol Wilkinson

    Please support the Land and Water Conservation fund

    Reply
  2. Janet Montpas

    Please renew the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress needs to make this a priority. Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Sandra Morey

    Renew the LWCF. I strongly support this action. Urban parks are extremely important in so many ways. Where I live, in Oakland, we have a neighborhood park on Sausal Creek which has trails and the creek, itself, that are in a thriving Redwood park with second growth and third growth redwood as well as the Bay Laurel, Alder and understory flora. We have an intimate connection with our Bay Area history through these remaining groves. We are in process of restoration of the native rainbow trout in Sausal Creek. We connect urban families with their natural heritage.

    Reply
  4. Harriet Jernquist

    Please renew support for the LWCF

    Reply
  5. heidi ahlstrand

    save our environment now

    Reply
  6. John Pasqua

    Protection for the great redwoods and lands for good

    Reply
  7. Jon Anderholm

    plant many millions more….. restore the greatest source of biomass in the history of the World…
    no geo engineering…. let the trees do it!

    Reply
  8. Jorge De Cecco

    Please renew this program. I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
    Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.
    Thank you very much,
    Jorge De Cecco

    Reply
  9. Karen Berger

    Renew the LWCF Today!

    Reply
  10. John Moszyk

    Save nature. Stop the corporate welfare.

    Reply
  11. Christina Little

    Please protect these beautiful trees

    Reply
  12. Robert Bein

    Please support permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), America’s most useful and cost-effective conservation program.

    Reply
  13. steve lyons

    These trees are ancient and becoming fewer and fewer

    Reply
  14. Richard M. Puaoi

    We need to do much more to protect our planet to sustain life. We must stop this Fascist government takeover of our Democracy.

    Reply
  15. Billy "The WiZaRd" Angus

    You have a duty and obligation to protect
    ALL of Nature’s sacred pristine places for the public
    (and future generations) to behold with awe and wonder.
    Failure or refusal to do so will result to the end of all life on this planet!

    Reply
  16. Joe Buhowsky

    Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.

    Reply
  17. Susan Mary Babbitt

    I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
    The federal government, through LWCF, has long been a partner in creating urban parks across the country, particularly through State and Local assistance grants. LWCF has funded playgrounds, ball fields, and neighborhood parks providing close-to-home recreation for millions of American families.
    Congress must capitalize on the rare bipartisan cooperation that LWCF inspires and renew the program with full funding. Bipartisan support for LWCF in Congress has been strong and consistent for over half a century.
    I hope you will and defend the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To do otherwise will hurt both urban and rural communities in every state.

    Reply
  18. Dr. Ronald C. Carlson

    I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
    Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.

    Reply
  19. Duncan Brown

    Please renew the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It was a tremendous mistake to let money for this vital fund end. Thank you.

    Reply
  20. Kathy Alter

    This needs to end.

    Reply
  21. patricia cachopo

    Save the Redwoods.

    Reply
  22. John Oda

    Please renew this program. I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
    Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.
    Thank you very much, John and Jazzmyne Oda

    Reply
  23. Brenda Eckberg

    I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century.
    Lack of consistent dedicated full funding for LWCF means expanded hunting and fishing access will remain closed to the public and hiking, biking, climbing and paddling routes will become overcrowded or left vulnerable to development. This hurts America’s $887 billion recreation economy and the 7.6 million American jobs on which it depends.
    The federal government, through LWCF, has long been a partner in creating urban parks across the country, particularly through State and Local assistance grants. LWCF has funded playgrounds, ball fields, and neighborhood parks providing close-to-home recreation for millions of American families. These local efforts are also on the chopping block.
    Congress must capitalize on the rare bipartisan cooperation that LWCF inspires and renew the program with full funding. Bipartisan support for LWCF in Congress has been strong and consistent for over half a century.
    I hope you will stand up and defend our most important conservation and recreation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To do otherwise will hurt both urban and rural communities in every state.

    Reply
  24. James True

    I strongly support the renewal of the Land and Water Conservation fund!

    Reply
  25. Tom Harris

    Please do everything possible to protect the environment.

    Reply
  26. Diana Waters

    Urge the 116th Congress to Renew the LWCF Today!

    Reply
  27. jen Bradford

    We need to do more to protect our parks and public spaces.

    Reply
  28. Scott Gibson

    I strongly support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. I expect Congress to continue to support the use of our royalties from offshore energy development for conservation and recreation, as intended by the LWCF Act for over half a century. The federal government, through LWCF, has long been a partner in creating urban parks across the country, particularly through State and Local assistance grants. LWCF has funded playgrounds, ball fields, and neighborhood parks providing close-to-home recreation for millions of American families. These local efforts are also on the chopping block.

    Reply

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