[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            REAUTHORIZE THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2015

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to speak out in favor of 
reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. As you know, the 
Land and Water Conservation Fund was established fifty years ago and 
has since become our nation's most successful conservation program--all 
without spending a single dime of taxpayer dollars. I wish to show my 
strong support for reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund.
  The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a crucial component of our 
nation's conservation initiatives. As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, I 
believe that preserving our nation's natural treasures for future 
generations is a responsibility that we must take seriously. Not only 
is stewardship of our lands the right thing to do, but it's also a 
sound investment. We know that every dollar spent acquiring LWCF land 
creates a return of four dollars to local communities. Outdoor 
recreation activities contribute significantly to our national and 
state economies. In my home state of Wisconsin, outdoor recreational 
activities contribute over $9.7 billion to our state economy each year.
  The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped to create outdoor 
recreation opportunities for each and every state. Wisconsin has 
received $211 million to fund such projects as the Chequamegon-Nicolet 
National Forest, the Lower St. Croix National Scenic River, and the Ice 
Age National Scenic Trail, where the Land and Water Conservation Fund 
participated in a highly successful public-private partnership to 
preserve additional sections of the trail. LWCF's grant programs have 
also allowed state and local governments to decide which conservation 
programs work best for them. The Land and Water Conservation Fund's 
highly successful grant program matches federal dollars with state and 
local contributions to ensure a cooperative approach to conserving our 
nation's environment. In Wisconsin, the LWCF has contributed $3,675,681 
to match state and local conservation projects and to help us preserve 
Wisconsin's beautiful outdoors.
  For the past fifty years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has 
played an integral role in achieving our nation's conservation goals. I 
urge my colleagues to support reauthorization of the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund so that we can continue to protect our wildlife, 
create opportunities and access to public lands for sportsmen and 
women, and provide economic benefits to our state and local 
communities.

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