Land and Water Conservation Fund
Lands and water are essential parts of God’s creation. Through the land, God nourishes life, and water links human life to the rest of God’s Creation. Creation begins with God calling life out of the water (Genesis 1:2). It is through water that all of Creation is gifted with life; life, in all of its forms, is not possible without water. For over thirty years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has done much to create and maintain our system of state, local and national parks -- from local baseball fields to Yellowstone National Park -- and ensure equal access to parklands for all Americans. Since its inception, LWCF has helped state agencies and local communities acquire nearly seven million acres of land; in addition, LWCF has underwritten the development of more than 37,000 state and local park and recreation projects.
In creating LWCF, Congress made a bipartisan commitment to safeguard open spaces, natural areas, our cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. It was a simple idea: use revenues from the depletion of one natural resource, offshore oil and gas, to support the conservation of another precious resource: our land. Every year, $900 million from the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) drilling lease proceeds are supposed to be dedicated to the LWCF. Yet, Congress has diverted as much as 85 percent of the fund’s $900 million in dedicated OCS revenues for projects unrelated to conservation and recreation.
God entrusted stewardship of lands and water to our care (Genesis 2:15). As part of our call to be stewards of Creation, we have a duty to use the land responsibly, to manage it so that it serves the good of all, and to protect it for future generations and for all life. The LWCF is a federal investment whose dividends touch all Americans. From national parks to urban parks, from picnic areas to playgrounds, from open trails to open spaces, LWCF has been the key to providing and protecting places for all Americans to recreate, relax, and get outdoors.
For more information:
The Trust for Public Lands
The Wilderness Society
Lands and Wilderness Home