Hon. Ryan Zinke
Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240

June 7, 2018

Dear Secretary Zinke,

We, the undersigned, are elected officials who represent every state in the United States. We are veterans who took an oath to serve and protect America — our Constitution, our people, and our nation's land.

For more than 50 years Land and Water Conservation Fund, (LWCF), grants have contributed to infrastructure developments and conservation measures that protect and enhance our national parks, national forests, monuments, wildlife refuges, and over 40,000 state and local park projects across our nation. 

After coming back from a deployment or a set of orders, being able to relax and enjoy our public lands with family and friends is an important and wonderful part of coming home. Many of us kept the tradition of hiking, fishing, hunting and relaxing by the water after transitioning into the civilian world - and passed it onto our children. It is important to protect our public lands for years to come so that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy America's lands. 

Our national treasures drive the economy in rural communities. They attract families, employees, businesses, and entrepreneurs, which desire a quality of life that only comes from being in close proximity to public lands.

One of the fastest growing sectors of our economy is outdoor recreation, which contributes $887 billion and supports 7.6 million jobs. A Bureau of Economic Analysis study found that the outdoor recreation economy was growing at 3.8 percent. Every $1 of LWCF funds invested results in a return of $4 in economic value.

The bipartisan LWCF is one of our most successful conservation programs because it draws on funds from offshore oil and gas royalties, not taxpayers, to expand, develop, and improve public lands for recreational areas, conservation, and the preservation of natural ecosystems.

Unfortunately, funding for this more than 50-year program runs out at the end of September 2018. Many of the land deals that LWCF helps support locally can be complicated real estate transactions that involve private landowners, local governments, federal and state officials, banks and local charities. These deals can take years and stakeholders need to plan with clarity.

Generations of Americans have visited our public lands. For many, these trips have become annual pilgrimages connecting families with our country’s roots while creating lasting memories. Our land is intrinsic to who we are as people.

We urge you to do all that you can to ensure the continued reauthorization of the LWCF at its full amount to ensure prosperous investments in America’s battlefields, monuments, and all public lands.

We all need the LWCF funds to continue to expand, develop, and improve public lands for recreational areas, conservation, the preservation of natural ecosystems and our national heritage.

Very Respectfully,