Rep. Zeldin Champions Great American Outdoors Act to Permanently Fund LWCF, Heads to President’s Desk to Become Law | Congressman Lee Zeldin

Rep. Zeldin Champions Great American Outdoors Act to Permanently Fund LWCF, Heads to President’s Desk to Become Law

July 22, 2020
Press Release

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) made remarks on the House Floor ahead of House passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (H.R.1957), of which he is an original cosponsor, to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address priority repair needs in our national parks and other land management agencies, which now heads to the President’s desk to become law: 

“As an original cosponsor of this legislation, I’d like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers for helping lead the charge to get this important victory across the finish line.

“I represent the first Congressional District of New York. It is a district almost completely surrounded by water on the East End of Long Island. In my district alone, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has provided funding for over 65 parks, and that’s just one example of the impact this program has made all across our great nation.

“This supports public access, fishing, hunting, recreation and our environment.  

“After securing permanent authorization last year, it’s an honor to continue the fight today. I’m not sure about everyone else, but being cooped up over the course of these last few months have probably given just about all of us more appreciation for the great outdoors.

"This is an effective program that will go a long way in keeping our magnificent outdoors great for generations to come.”

The Great American Outdoors Act has drawn the support of more than 900 organizations across the country, including local businesses, the recreation industry, veterans groups, conservation organizations, tourism and travel associations, sportsmen and infrastructure groups. 

The Land and Water Conservation Fund 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.  

LWCF does not use any taxpayer dollars – it is funded using a small portion of revenues from offshore oil and gas royalty payments. Outdoor recreation, conservation and historic preservation activities contribute more than $887 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting 7.6 million jobs.  

Last year, Congressman Zeldin helped secure permanent reauthorization for the program.

Since the creation of LWCF, over 90 Suffolk County projects have been funded, including:

  • 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