Shaheen, Ayotte support conservation fund

New Hampshire’s U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D) and Kelly Ayotte (R) both support a reauthorization of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  The fund expired October 1.

LWCF receives a portion of the leases of federal government land to oil and gas companies, and pays for the creation and maintenance of local, state, and national parks. 

“In New Hampshire we have a very strong tradition of the outdoors being such a part of who we are.  In fact the Land and Water Conservation Fund has led to more than 650 individual acquisition and development projects in our state,” testified Sen. Ayotte.

However, some Republicans want to revise LWCF so that the funds go to more state and local projects, not the expansion of national parks.

“Special interests that seek to hijack LWCF to continue to expand the federal estate and divert even more monies away from localities conveniently claim the world is ending [when LWCF expires],” said Rep. Bob Bishop, who led the charge against LWCF.  “The only thing that expires … is the ability to accrue additional revenues into the fund, which currently has an unappropriated balance of $20 billion in taxpayer dollars.”