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Heinrich Urges Congress To Fully Fund Conservation Program Set To Expire

Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich pushed Congress to permanently authorize and completely fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing earlier this month. Senator Heinrich is a cosponsor of the bill designed to permanently authorize and fully fund the LWCF, a conservation program that has been around for decades.

Heinrich praised the LWCF’s effectiveness as a program and said the U.S. government could learn from its example. He also countered comments that suggested that LWCF was broken and mentioned the support it had received on the Senate Floor when it was up for reauthorization. 

The LWCF provides funding for national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests and other federal public lands in addition to providing matching grants for facilities such as state parks and local playing fields. The LWCF protects several public lands in New Mexico including the Gila National Forest, the Rio Chama Wild and Scenic River, the Santa Fe National Forest, and many other monuments and forests.

Heinrich discussed the LWCF’s role in preserving national forests that protect drinking water supplies at the hearing. 

The New Mexico democrat then emphasized the impact the LWCF has on the state’s outdoor economy. Outdoor recreation activities are said to generate $6.1 billion a year in consumer spending and are directly responsible for 68,000 jobs in New Mexico.