Jon Tester: “some of my colleagues will be coming to the floor later today to speak about the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and I…”

“some of my colleagues will be coming to the floor later today to speak about the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and I am sorry I am not going to be able to join them, but LWCF is very important, especially to Montana, and so I want to make my voice heard this morning. LWCF turned 50 earlier this month. Passed during the Johnson administration, LCWF harkens back to the time when folks reached across the aisle to conserve our treasured lands--treasured lands that exist in all corners of our Nation. LWCF has contributed to the protection of well-known places such as Rocky Mountain National Park and the Appalachian Trail, but it has also supported lesser known but equally spectacular places such as Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, Sawtooth National Recreation Area in Idaho, and the Flathead National Forest in my State of Montana. America is filled with amazing lands that make us stand in awe of their beauty, make us want to go out and explore, make us want to hunt, fish, and camp. We must make sure they are preserved for our future generations to enjoy just as we have been able to enjoy it. From hunters and anglers to ranchers and sporting goods store owners, LWCF is a program that simply works. It uses the funds from offshore oil and gas receipts for a wide array of conservation programs. Some of these programs increase access to public lands, others preserve natural resources. LWCF is also good for the economy.…”