“For more than 60 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been the single most important tool for expanding access to the outdoors in communities across the United States. It has touched every county in the nation, providing funding for parks, trails, recreation areas, and natural spaces — from neighborhood ballfields to national treasures like the Grand Canyon and Gettysburg Battlefield.

“The impact of LWCF cannot be overstated. It has allowed children to play in safe community parks, families to explore nature close to home, and future generations to experience the beauty and history of our country. It connects people to the outdoors, regardless of where they live, and supports local economies through tourism and recreation.

“We appreciate that the Department of the Interior and the Administration are focused on addressing challenges, such as wildfire preparedness, water quality, shoreline stabilization to protect from flooding, and the maintenance needs of our public lands. These are priorities we share. But, in meeting these goals, we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure we are not limiting the full potential of LWCF, a program that has already proven to be one of the most effective, bipartisan conservation tools in our nation’s history.

“Funded through offshore energy revenues and at no cost to taxpayers, LWCF reflects a long-standing promise: as we develop one natural resource, we invest in protecting another. That investment has resulted in over 46,000 local projects, the protection of millions of acres of public land, and greater access to the outdoors for people in all parts of the country.

“The Great American Outdoors Act reaffirmed the strength and purpose of LWCF with permanent, full funding. We encourage the Department to continue honoring that vision by keeping the program fully accessible and effective, so it can continue delivering the parks, trails, and open spaces our communities rely on.”

For over half a century, LWCF has served to protect America’s greatest treasures: From national parks of outstanding beauty, such as the Grand Canyon and Grand Teton, to historic sites embodying our nation’s past, such as the San Antonio Missions, the Gettysburg Battlefield and Monroe Elementary School in Kansas. In 2018, Hispanic Access released the short film “Land, Water y Comunidad,” which explores the relationship Latinos across the nation have with Land and Water Conservation Fund sites – what it means to them, how they enjoy them and the impact it would have if these lands weren’t available.