Conservation Fund Permanently Authorized

The U.S. House of Representatives this week moved to save the Land and Water Conservation Fund, approving a sweeping package of public lands bills that includes a measure to permanently reauthorize the program for the first time in its 54-year-history.

The package, also approved by the Senate earlier in February with near-unanimous support, puts an end to the cycle of expiration and renewal that the fund has suffered in recent years. The fund last expired in September, prompting a bipartisan group of lawmakers to push for permanent reauthorization. The package also includes provisions to protect thousands of acres of wilderness and support endangered species recovery in the Colorado River.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect national parks, expand trails and playing fields, and preserve important landscapes for over half a century. It has funded dozens of natural and recreational areas across the state of Wyoming, including projects in Cody, Powell, Greybull and Meeteetse.

The package now goes to the president for his expected signature.