ALBUQUERQUE — Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico is leading an effort in the U.S. Senate to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund while also addressing the maintenance backlog at national parks and other federal land management agencies.
Heinrich, a Democrat, is among a bipartisan group of senators who introduced a bill on Monday called the Great American Outdoors Act.
“This is a major step forward in our effort to fully, permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” Heinrich said.
The fund collects revenue from offshore energy production and uses it to acquire important lands around the country. The legislation would specify that the $900 million a year earmarked for the fund not be diverted to other congressional programs.
In New Mexico, LWCF has helped preserve the Valles Caldera, Ute Mountain, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and other areas.
Heinrich said the LWCF also helps to power the state’s thriving outdoor recreation economy and protects drinking water while also providing public land access including neighborhood parks, soccer fields, and baseball diamonds for New Mexico children.
The bill includes a measure championed by Heinrich to address maintenance backlogs at all four public lands agencies and the Bureau of Indian Education.
The language in the bill secured by Senator Heinrich would make $1.9 billion available each year for agency maintenance projects — $9.5 billion total — with 70 percent allocated for National Park Service projects, 15 percent for Forest Service, 5 percent for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5 percent for Bureau of Land Management, and 5 percent for Bureau of Indian Education schools.
“In addition to the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the American people, and have deferred maintenance needs that deserve to be addressed,” Heinrich said. “This is especially important for sportsmen, since the vast majority of hunting and fishing on public lands happens in places managed by these other three agencies.”
Heinrich said he’s also proud of the effort to provide funding to address safety and maintenance issues at the Bureau of Indian Education. “For too long, many Bureau of Indian Education schools have been in need of construction and repairs,” he said.
Jesse Deubel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, said Tuesday that he strongly supports the legislation.
“Full funding of the LWCF is critical to preserve environmentally sensitive areas for the benefit of wildlife and for public recreation and enjoyment around the country,” Deubel said. “In addition, our nation has delayed adequate funding for National Parks and other facilities for too long. We believe that now’s the time to act.”