American Whitewater is deeply disappointed to see Congress fail to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund ahead of its expiration on September 30. Over its 50-year life, LWCF has proven indispensable for providing close-to-home opportunities for outdoor recreation, as well as for protecting our country's most iconic landscapes. Its expiration is an unfortunate loss for the outdoor recreation community, but we are greatly encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of support and energy from our community and the overwhelming majority of Congress, and we will continue to work to ensure that this essential program for outdoor recreation is ultimately reauthorized. 

 

The Land and Water Conservation fund uses a portion of the royalties from off-shore oil and gas leasing to fund outdoor recreation and conservation priorities. It represents a fair and longstanding commitment by Congress to the American people that resource development will occur in tandem with protection for public lands. 

 

Over the life of the program, LWCF has funded critical protections for river corridors and helped establish public access to West Virginia’s Gauley and New Rivers, Washington’s White Salmon and Green Rivers, Idaho’s Salmon River, Colorado’s Arkansas River, Georgia’s Chattooga River, and dozens of other rivers across the country. 

 

While we are disappointed that Congress allowed LWCF to expire, it is not the end. The program has received an incredible amount of attention over the last few weeks. American Whitewater members wrote to their members of Congress in support of the program and staff Thomas O’Keefe and Bob Nasdor along with members Chris Ennis, Louis Geltman, Charlie Walbridge, and Bryan Kirk recently visited over two dozen Congressional offices in partnership with other Outdoor Alliance organizations to highlight the value of this fund. Our goal is to keep LWCF high on the Congressional priority list until a good window comes available to reauthorize it.

 

You can help us continue the push by contacting your member of Congress. Identify yourself as a whitewater boater who values access to rivers and highlight the importance of the Land Water Conservation Fund. Express your disappointment that the fund was allowed to expire and ask your member of Congress to support its immediate reauthorization. If constituents speak up we keep it near the top of the agenda, we will be able to get it reauthorized.

 

We have provided a handy tool for you to take action here:

http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50479/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=17266

 

Check out our interactive map that highlights some of the past projects that benefit whitewater boaters:

http://arcg.is/1hpfBWU