Raúl Grijalva: “Some of the claims that the Land and Water Conservation Fund is some kind of a slush fund are completely false. All LWCF…”

“Some of the claims that the Land and Water Conservation Fund is some kind of a slush fund are completely false. All LWCF expenditures are approved by Congress through the appropriations process. The proposed land acquisitions are developed over many years after a public land management planning process. This is a far more responsible and transparent process than many Federal expenditures, and it is opposite of a slush fund. The allegation that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has drifted from its original intent is also false. The purpose of the program is to provide balance. As we allow oil companies to reap massive profits from Federal oil reserves, we should set some of the revenue aside for conservation purposes, and that is still what LWCF does today. Funding for State matching grants has fluctuated over the years, but that is not a drift. That is the result of previous Congress' appropriations decisions, many of which were made during Republican Congresses. {time} 1745 The truth is, LWCF is under attack precisely because for 50 years it has not drifted from its conservation goals. We do not need to rob LWCF in order to pay the maintenance costs. Federal land management agencies have maintenance backlogs because Congress refuses to give them the funding they deserve and need.…”