Jon Tester: “Absolutely. We hear from sports men and women nearly every day, if not every day. Here is where the problem is, and this…”

“Absolutely. We hear from sports men and women nearly every day, if not every day. Here is where the problem is, and this is why we need to get the Land and Water Conservation Fund authorized and funded--and funded at $900 million, I might add. If you want to go hunting and fishing today in this country, things have changed from the way they were 30 or 40 years ago. You used to be able to access private lands and go hunting and fishing, and you still can, but there are many fewer acres. So the real opportunity to go hunting and fishing in this country is on our public lands, whether those are State or Federal, and this Land and Water Conservation Fund allows access to those public lands. There are some in this body and there are some in this country who don't think the Federal Government should own one stitch of land. Well, without those opportunities and our outdoor economy, No. 1, our way of life would change forever in States such as Montana, and No. 2, our economy would be severely distressed. So, you bet, I hear from sports men and women, because when they want to go hunting and fishing, they go to those Federal public lands. That is where the good habitat is that they can access, and that is where the good fisheries are that they can access. So this is very important. For those in this body who want to see this program go away, they are literally driving a nail in the coffin of rural America's economy.”