Enactment of Great American Outdoors Act Marks Victory for Long Island

Being cooped up over the course of these last few months has given all of us a greater appreciation for the great outdoors, especially in our local parks and along the beautiful shores of Long Island. In Suffolk County, our waterways, parks and trails are such an important part of our way of life, and a critical component of protecting these natural wonders is the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, also known as LWCF, protects parks, trails, wildlife refuges and recreation areas at the federal, state and local level. For more than 50 years, it has provided critical funding for land and water conservation projects, access to recreation, including hunting and fishing, and the continued historic preservation of our nation’s iconic landmarks from coast-to-coast.  

In Suffolk County alone, it has provided funding for over 65 parks, supporting public access, fishing, hunting, recreation and our environment. Some of these projects include the South Jamesport Boat Launching Site, Hampton Bays Softball Field, Wildwood State Park Beach Building in Wading River, Montauk State Park Showers and Comfort Station, acquisition of Havens Beach in Sag Harbor, shoreline protection in Orient Beach State Park, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley and many more. 

In addition to important conservation efforts, LWCF is also an integral part of our local economy. On Long Island, our environment is a vital component of our overall economy, and clean water, land and air are essential priorities all protected by LWCF. In fact, outdoor recreation, conservation and historic preservation activities contribute more than $887 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting 7.6 million jobs. 

Perhaps the most surprising thing about LWCF is that it does not use any taxpayer dollars. Instead, it is funded using a small portion of revenues from offshore oil and gas royalty payments, making it fiscally and environmentally responsible. 

The incredible benefits of this fund is why, last year, I joined colleagues from the House and Senate in leading the effort to permanently authorize this program, and, last week, we came together once again to permanently fund this project through the Great American Outdoors Act. 

This legislation and permanent authorization and funding for the LWCF signed into law will allow this program to consistently invest in our communities on Long Island, not only with our waterways and beaches, but also our parks and recreational facilities. 

This bipartisan, bicameral victory in Washington is, most importantly, a victory for Long Island and builds on continued environmental victories, like tripling funding for Long Island Sound cleanup through the Long Island Sound Program and securing full funding for the National Estuary Program and SeaGrant. 

With the valuable natural resources we treasure on Long Island comes a great responsibility to protect them. There is much more work still ahead to safeguard our environment, water quality, natural resources and way of life, and I’ll continue fighting to deliver important victories for our communities.

Congressman Lee Zeldin represents New York’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives where he serves as a member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus and founding member of the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus.