August 15, 2018
Bernalillo County Commission Passes Resolution in Support of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
Commissioners Urge Congress to Fully Fund and Reauthorize LWCF before the September 30 Expiration Date
For Immediate Release
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Last night the Bernalillo County Commission passed a resolution urging Congress to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF is our nation’s most important program to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities in every state, including New Mexico. However, LWCF will expire on September 30th unless Congress acts to reauthorize the program before then. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation thanks Commissioners Maggie Hart Stebbins and James Smith for introducing this bill and for their leadership in getting this resolution passed by a 5-0 vote.
Since 1965, New Mexico has received more than $312 million dollars from LWCF for over 1,200 projects, including local playground equipment and ballfields, state park visitor facilities, and acquisition of land from willing sellers to establish and add to our National Parks, Forests, Monuments, and Wildlife Refuges.
LWCF has helped maintain popular natural destinations like Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, Cibola National Forest, Rio Grande del Norte and Petroglyph National Monuments, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Tingley Beach, and Heritage Hills and Rio Bravo parks among others.
LWCF is funded from offshore oil and gas drilling royalties, meaning that none of it comes from taxpayer dollars. However, instead of providing LWCF with its authorized level of $900 million annually, nearly every year Congress diverts much of this funding to purposes other than conserving our most important lands and waters. The Bernalillo County resolution urges Congress to fully fund LWCF and thus end this practice.
“The Land and Water Conservation Fund is vital to our economy and quality of life in this county and across New Mexico and I’m proud the County Commission is unified in its support,” said Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins. “LWCF funds have been used to develop and beautify parks and sports fields throughout the county and LWCF helped us protect our Valle del Oro – the first Urban Wildlife Sanctuary in the United States. All New Mexicans should care about LWCF and Congress must act to re-authorize and fully fund it.”
“By passing this resolution, our leaders in the county commission are showing their commitment to the people of Bernalillo County by standing up for our ballfields, open spaces, and public lands,” said New Mexico Wildlife Federation Acting Executive Director Todd Leahy. “By giving everyone the ability to enjoy green spaces and the outdoors we’ll make Bernalillo County a better place. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation applauds the commission for their leadership in calling for full funding and permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.”
The Bernalillo County Commission will share its resolution with New Mexico’s Congressional delegation. All the New Mexico Congressional delegation – save Representative Steve Pearce – have consistently supported this crucial conservation fund.
The Bernalillo Board of County Commissioners’ resolution follows a similar resolution passed last week by the City of Santa Fe calling for full LWCF funding and permanent reauthorization. Throughout 2018 lawmakers, business owners, sportsmen and women, veterans, Latino organizations, and the public have been calling on our elected officials to save the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Now is the time for our entire New Mexico delegation to stand up for LWCF before it expires on September 30th.
