Steven Holt: “Although the Land and Water Conservation Fund is authorized to receive $900 million annually from oil and gas leasing…”

“Although the Land and Water Conservation Fund is authorized to receive $900 million annually from oil and gas leasing revenues, Congress must appropriate those funds after they have been deposited from the revenues. Taxpayers aren't footing the bill for this program. Oil and gas companies fund the LWCF. The amount they pay is less than 1 percent of the massive profits these companies take each year. It's a small token of what we can do to preserve these other resources as the oil and gas resources are used. Preserving open space is more than a narrow environmental issue. It really is a quality of life issue. As my friend, the chairman, has assured us, there is nothing in the underlying bill that would reduce the amount of revenue available for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. So with that assurance that the legislation here today will in no way harm the Land and Water Conservation Fund, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment. The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the amendment is withdrawn. There was no objection. Amendment No. 15 Offered by Ms. Hanabusa The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 15 printed in part A of House Report 112 398.”