The Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law today by President Trump. The Act provides full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million per year and appropriates $9.5 billion to address backlogs in federal maintenance and development on federal lands such as national parks, forests, rangelands and wildlife refuges. Montana has benefitted greatly from LWCF, receiving more than $600 million over the last 50 years for fee title and conservation easements on wildlife habitat, fishing access sites, securing public access, municipal swimming pools and tennis courts and shooting ranges. Increased LWCF funding could be critical for funding programs such as conservation easements on corporate timberlands recently purchased by Southern Pines Plantation.
Over the years funding for LWCF has fluctuated greatly. Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act follows on permanent reauthorization of LWCF last year and should pay dividends for future Montana generations.
Flathead Wildlife, Inc. thanks Montana’s congressional delegation including Senator Steve Daines, Senator Jon Tester and Congressmen Greg Gianforte for their leadership in getting LWCF permanently reauthorized and funded.
Click on this link to see an article from NBC Montana. (photo above from this site)