Wisconsin conservationists launch campaign to reauthorize Land and Water Conservation Fund

The campaign highlights the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the LWCF’s role in maintaining and expanding it.

As the Land and Water Conservation Fund is scheduled to expire on Sept. 30, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters launched a campaign this week calling on Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the parks program.

The state’s conservation voters are urging House Speaker Paul Ryan to "be a leader, reauthorize the LWCF permanently, and protect the public places both he and his constituents enjoy."

The campaign includes videos, the first of which launched today. The campaign highlights the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the LWCF’s role in maintaining and expanding it.

It also includes a letter to Ryan that makes it easy to weigh in on the conservation issue.

“From national wildlife refuges and national forests to ball fields and community parks, LWCF has protected places like Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Wolf Wild and Scenic River, Devil's Lake State Park, High Cliff State Park, and Central Sands Pine Forest,” the letter reads.

Executive director Kerry Schumann, in a news release, said, “Communities across Wisconsin rely on the Land and Water Conservation Fund to preserve and enhance the outdoor spaces that we all enjoy — from the smallest urban park to the sprawling Ice Age Trail to the popular Devil’s Lake State Park.

"Wisconsin's $17.9 billion outdoor recreation industry supports 168,000 jobs and produces $1.1 billion annually in state and local tax revenue. Speaker Paul Ryan has the opportunity to be a national leader and ensure the fund is reauthorized permanently.”