AMERICANS SUPPORT LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND

A new bipartisan poll released today by the LWCF Coalition shows that an overwhelming 88% of Americans support continued funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. "LWCF is critical to conserving wildlife habitat and providing access for public recreation, including hunting and fishing," LWCF is the nation’s primary tool since 1965 to conserve land for parks, wildlife refuges, forests, rivers, trails, historic and cultural sites and other important federal, state and local public lands. The poll finds that a vast majority of Americans want Congress to honor its commitment to fully fund LWCF.

An overwhelming majority- 88%- of voters support continuing to deposit fees from offshore oil and gas drilling into the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In 2009, 81% of voters supported continued LWCF funding.

- Voters from all major segments of the electorate support continued funding for LWCF, including:

- 93% of Democrats, 87% of independents, and 83% of Republicans
- 95% of Latinos, 88% of whites, and 85% of African Americans
- 86% of voters in each region of the U.S.

The findings come at a time when the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed a draconian 80 percent cut to LWCF in the FY 2012 Interior funding bill- the lowest level of funding since the law establishing LWCF was passed in 1965. The cuts have been proposed despite the fact that the fund uses no taxpayer dollars. Over the past 45 years LWCF has helped to protect land in every state, and in 98% of U.S. counties. The fund has supported more than 41,000 state and local park projects, and has helped conserve working forests, farms and ranches. Lands protected with LWCF funds provide clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, natural areas for wildlife, and a heritage of spectacular parks, forests, and historic battlefields for us and future generations of Americans to enjoy.

For more information on LWCF and the places in each state that have been protected using LWCF funds, visit http://www.lwcfcoalition.org/.