Support LWCF and the America the Beautiful Act

For more than half a century, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been America's most successful conservation and access program safeguarding fish and wildlife habitat, protecting clean water, and expanding public access for hunters, anglers, and all who love the outdoors. LWCF has delivered high-priority, bipartisan projects across the country. During President Trump's first term, the Great America Outdoors Act (GAOA) was signed into law, providing permanent, dedicated funding of $900 million for LWCF.

The GAOA also authorized $1.6 billion annually through 2025 to address the deferred maintenance backlog on public lands. That funding is set to expire on September 30th, 2025 with the total deferred maintenance backlog currently estimated at $43.9 billion. There have been some positive signs from the administration and some congressional leaders to maintain full funding for LWCF at $900 million annually and to reauthorize $2 billion to address the deferred maintenance backlog on our public lands through S.1547 the America the Beautiful Act. 

However, the bipartisan conservation legacy of the Great American Outdoors Act is at risk of being eroded.  

On September 4th 2025, Department of Interior Secretary Bergum announced Secretarial Order 3442 which restricts LWCF's mission and sidelines stakeholder-led acquisitions from willing sellers that have historically provided access for hunters and anglers. The order: 

• Inserts political veto power by requiring written approval from both governors and local county officials before acquisitions can move forward-- even when they involve willing sellers and enjoy broad local support. 

• Narrows eligibility for acquisitions by restricting Bureau of Land Management projects and that have historically expanded access and improved habitat across the West. 

• Opens the door to land transfers by allowing states to use LWCF funds to purchase "surplus" federal property, setting a dangerous precedent that could pave the way for public land disposals if existing safeguards are bypassed. 

Take Action: Encourage your senators and representatives to pass the America the Beautiful Act that reauthorizes funding for our ballooning deferred maintenance backlog--without siphoning any funding from LWCF--and encourage them to push back against subversive provisions in Secretarial Order 3442. LWCF must remain a program that expands access, conserves habitat, and strengthens communities--not one that that slowly erodes our federal public lands legacy.