- March 8, 2012 Coalition Applauds Senate for Dedicated Conservation Funding
- February 13, 2012 Coalition Applauds President's Continued Support for Conservation Funding
- December 17, 2011 Conservation, Business and Sportsmen Groups Applaud Congressional Efforts to Protect LWCF Funding in FY12 Budget
- July 25, 2011- New Bipartisan Poll Shows Overwhelming Support Across America for Land and Water Conservation Fund
- July 13, 2011- National Bipartisan Poll Memo
- May 31, 2011- Over One-Third of the U.S. House of Representatives Sign Letter Supporting Funding for LWCF
- April 14, 2011- Conrad Anchor Testimony Release
- December 20, 2010 - Senate Urged to Join House and Pass Bill with Full Funding for Conservation Program »
- August 3, 2010 - Senate Urged to Join House and Pass Bill with Full Funding for Conservation Program »
- July 15, 2010 - House Committee Passes Bill Securing Funding for Conservation and Recreation Program »
- April 16, 2010 - America's Great Outdoors Conference Focuses on Need for Vital Land, Recreation Funding »
- February 1, 2010 - Obama's Budget Includes Key Funding for Land & Water »
- November 6, 2009 - Senate Bill Would Fulfill Longstanding Promise for Conservation and Recreation Program »
- September 17 , 2009 - Coalition Supports Conservation at House Hearing »
A commentary by Rick Olson
To live in the Great Wisconsin northwoods is to have beautiful lakes and rivers, and large, pristine spaces open to the public. Conserving the qualities that make this place so special is tremendously important for those of us who call it "home." That's why I recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with our Wisconsin congressional delegation about the importance of protecting our forests, lakes, and recreational lands in northern Wisconsin.
By now, everyone recognizes that we must put the government's budget on a diet, and tough decisions have to be made. But investing in Wisconsin's economic recovery and our beloved national forests, wildlife refuges, and parks through a federal program that doesn't come out of our tax dollars is a smart choice as Congress develops a budget for the next fiscal year.
Since 1965, that program, called the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), has protected places like Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the North Country National Scenic Trail, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Chippewa Flowage Forest. This year, LWCF funds will help protect more than 18,000 acres in the Chippewa Flowage watershed, which will secure a world-class fishery and protect a working forest for continued logging.
These sorts of places protect our water quality and the environment. They are also critical to the state's economy because they preserve the working forests that provide local jobs and make Wisconsin a premier destination for active outdoor recreation. In fact, the Outdoor Industry Association has found that outdoor recreation contributes more than $9.7 billion to Wisconsin's economy, supports 129,000 jobs across the state, generates $570 million in annual state tax revenue, and produces $7.5 billion annually in retail sales and services — accounting for nearly 4 percent of gross state product. The U.S. Census reports that over 2.9 million people hunt, fish or watch wildlife in Wisconsin each year, spending over $3.9 billion on wildlife-related recreation.
What makes LWCF such a bargain investment for Wisconsin is that it isn't financed by our taxes! Instead, the fund gets a portion of the fees collected from oil and gas companies when they lease federally managed areas in our offshore waters. Every year, $900 million of those fees is supposed to be put into this fund to protect our federal, state, and local lands and waters. However, that seldom occurs. Instead, Congress uses most of this oil and gas company money for other purposes, and LWCF is consistently shortchanged.
Today, LWCF is in deep jeopardy. Congress slashed the program during year-end budget negotiations, which left the program with just a third of what it is supposed to get. Now the U.S. House of Representatives is proposing even deeper cuts that would decimate the program. This harmful budget hasn't yet been enacted, but time is running out.
Gratefully, our Congressional delegation includes longstanding — and bipartisan — champions of LWCF, like Senator Herb Kohl and Representatives Tom Petri and Ron Kind. I'm also thrilled that my congressman, Sean Duffy, recently stood up for those of us who care about Wisconsin's natural heritage by joining his colleagues in defending LWCF. With their strong support, we can ensure the protection of cherished places like Chippewa Flowage and keep our Northwoods' beautiful appeal while supporting our local and state economy.
While there's no doubt federal spending needs to be reduced, not all cuts are equal. Wiping out LWCF, as now proposed in the House, is wrong-headed and will squander an opportunity to protect our state's treasured places. For the sake of our environment and economy, LWCF is the kind of program that should be encouraged, not eliminated.
Rick Olson is Sawyer County chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.
By now, everyone recognizes that we must put the government's budget on a diet, and tough decisions have to be made. But investing in Wisconsin's economic recovery and our beloved national forests, wildlife refuges, and parks through a federal program that doesn't come out of our tax dollars is a smart choice as Congress develops a budget for the next fiscal year.
Since 1965, that program, called the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), has protected places like Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, the North Country National Scenic Trail, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Chippewa Flowage Forest. This year, LWCF funds will help protect more than 18,000 acres in the Chippewa Flowage watershed, which will secure a world-class fishery and protect a working forest for continued logging.
What makes LWCF such a bargain investment for Wisconsin is that it isn't financed by our taxes! Instead, the fund gets a portion of the fees collected from oil and gas companies when they lease federally managed areas in our offshore waters. Every year, $900 million of those fees is supposed to be put into this fund to protect our federal, state, and local lands and waters. However, that seldom occurs. Instead, Congress uses most of this oil and gas company money for other purposes, and LWCF is consistently shortchanged.
Today, LWCF is in deep jeopardy. Congress slashed the program during year-end budget negotiations, which left the program with just a third of what it is supposed to get. Now the U.S. House of Representatives is proposing even deeper cuts that would decimate the program. This harmful budget hasn't yet been enacted, but time is running out.
Gratefully, our Congressional delegation includes longstanding — and bipartisan — champions of LWCF, like Senator Herb Kohl and Representatives Tom Petri and Ron Kind. I'm also thrilled that my congressman, Sean Duffy, recently stood up for those of us who care about Wisconsin's natural heritage by joining his colleagues in defending LWCF. With their strong support, we can ensure the protection of cherished places like Chippewa Flowage and keep our Northwoods' beautiful appeal while supporting our local and state economy.
While there's no doubt federal spending needs to be reduced, not all cuts are equal. Wiping out LWCF, as now proposed in the House, is wrong-headed and will squander an opportunity to protect our state's treasured places. For the sake of our environment and economy, LWCF is the kind of program that should be encouraged, not eliminated.
Rick Olson is Sawyer County chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.