WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the letter led by Senator Leahy and joined by 20 other Senators to the Senate Energy Committee linking the expiration of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, LCV Land Conservation Fellow Andy French issued the following statement: 

“We applaud Senator Leahy and the 20 other Senators who joined this letter linking these two popular federal lands programs, signaling that they are prepared to fight for America’s premier conservation program to avert its expiration. Although Western states have the luxury of receiving sizeable funding from both programs, eastern states rely heavily on the Land and Water Conservation Fund for their outdoor recreation economies, and will be left out in the dark if it expires in 70 days from now. After 50 years of funding parks in nearly every county across the country, we need our leaders in Congress to renew this commitment to conservation by working to reauthorize the LWCF with full and permanent funding.”

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