Pete Domenici: “Yes, the Senator from Tennessee is correct. Those who want to make sure our citizens have access to the great American…”

“Yes, the Senator from Tennessee is correct. Those who want to make sure our citizens have access to the great American outdoors have long advocated the principle that some of the funds from offshore oil and gas drilling should become a royalty for conservation and outdoor recreation, providing a reliable and permanent stream of funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This basic concept was proposed in 1962 by the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission--also known as the Rockefeller Commission--and it was also a primary recommendation of President Reagan's Commission on Americans Outdoors in 1986. This legislation is an important first step in the right direction, one that has been 40 years in the making.”