The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) expressed its support of Interior Department changes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
The Interior Department announced Secretarial Order 3396, revoking Secretarial Order 3388, issued in November 2020. Order 3388 imposed new restrictions on LCWF funding, inhibiting its availability to use in federal land and water acquisitions.
“Today’s reversal of the previous administration’s secretarial order is welcome news,” ORR acting Executive Director Lindsey Davis said. “There are myriad shovel ready projects to connect popular trails and recreation areas that involve complex land access issues between federal, state and private lands. This reversal makes that process much more doable with all the federal land agencies, including the (Bureau of Land Management).”
In addition to rescinding Order 3388, the Interior Department said the new order instructs the National Park Service to revise the LWCF Assistance Manual to remove the restrictive policies implemented in the previous order. Order 3396 also reinstates pre-existing LWCF state assistance program implementation and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program.
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been crucial to protecting public lands, conserving wildlife habitats, and improving access to outdoor recreation,” said Shannon A. Estenoz, principal deputy assistant secretary – Fish and Wildlife and Parks. “Interior’s actions today affirm our support for one of America’s most successful and popular conservation programs. We look forward to further strengthening this successful program to ensure that all communities – from hikers and sportsmen to urban and underserved communities – have access to nature and the great outdoors.”
Since its inception in 1965, the LWCF has funded $4 billion worth of projects in every county in the country. Last year, Congress permanently funded the LWCF at $900 million per year with wide bipartisan support.
“We look forward to working with the administration on the best way to implement LWCF projects and leverage additional support from stateside dollars,” Davis said.
