A Conservation Legacy at Risk — and Why It Matters Beyond Politics

The privilege to hike, camp, hunt, fish, and simply be in wild places is something we hold sacred — and something we have defended time and again. Truly, one of America’s greatest gifts to her people is our public lands – our national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and other recreation and wilderness lands. 

The vision to protect these uniquely American landscapes stretches back more than a century.  Beginning with President Grant’s creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, to President Roosevelt setting aside roughly 230 million acres of public lands from 1901 to 1909.  

More than a century later, another president took a historic step to build on that legacy. Five years ago, during President Trump’s first term, he signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), saying:  

“… we’re here today to celebrate the passage of truly landmark legislation that will preserve America’s majestic natural wonders, priceless historic treasures — and that’s exactly what they are — grand national monuments, and glorious national parks. This is a very big deal.” 

As someone who has spent my career conserving lands across our country, I agree. It was a very big deal. With this action, the President permanently and fully funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually — something that previously required annual congressional approval and was often drastically underfunded. 

If you’re not familiar with LWCF, it is a quiet but incredibly powerful workhorse for conservation. It enables organizations like The Conservation Fund to protect landscapes in every state, from picnic areas and community beaches to state parks, rodeo arenas, and iconic national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. It also helps us acquire properties that unlock access to existing but “landlocked” public lands, opening extraordinary recreational opportunities.

In fact, more than 99% of the projects funded by LWCF provide recreational access opportunities. For example, LWCF helped to expand the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Montana, opening up to the public more than 38,000 remote and pristine acres, now home to some of the finest big game hunting in the region, while also supporting more than 300 jobs and contributing more than $33 million annually to the local economy. 

The beauty of LWCF is that it’s financed entirely by revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling — not by taxpayer dollars. 

These LWCF dollars are also an investment in local communities. They help to sustain nature-based industries like forestry, outdoor recreation, and tourism — sectors that strengthen rural economies and offer jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. The outdoor recreation sector contributes $1.2 trillion to America’s economy and supports more than 5 million American jobs. Trails, rivers, and public lands draw visitors who support local businesses, from outfitters and guides to restaurants and lodging. In every state and nearly every zip code, LWCF helps to build healthier, more resilient communities without costing taxpayers a dime. 

Yet despite its proven value, LWCF faces threats of defunding. This is not just a budget debate — it would be a broken promise to the American people. One that risks dismantling an outdoor legacy built over decades and enjoyed by millions every year. 

Our public lands are not just a presidential achievement, they are a shared inheritance. They are the living legacy of a nation that has always understood the value of protecting what cannot be replaced.  

That legacy lives on every time someone sets foot on these lands — in the pursuit of elk through Montana’s Flathead National Forest, birding in Louisiana’s Breton National Wildlife Refuge, or the climb up Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park. 

We must honor that legacy — and protect it — for ourselves, for the wildlife, and for all who follow.