Marshall Supports Preservation of Public Lands

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D., voted in favor of H.R. 7092, the Great American Outdoors Act, which will help conserve our nation’s natural resources and expand outdoor recreation opportunities for generations to come. The bill will dedicate funds to the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually and fund maintenance backlogs on public lands and waters at $9.5 billion over five years.

“Public lands are an important part of life across Kansas, and I was proud to cosponsor and support this important bill, which will bring greatly needed resources to the long-deferred maintenance and upkeep in parks and other public lands all across our country,” said Rep. Marshall. “Congress must conserve and protect our nation’s public lands for future generations to enjoy, and this bill does exactly that.”

This legislation will:

• Permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually.
• Provide $9.5 billion over 5 years to restore the infrastructure on federal public lands and waters.
• Set aside $3 billion to support hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting activities on public lands and waters within the Bureau of Land Management, National Wildlife Refuge System, and U.S. Forest Service.
• Ensure that $15 million of LWCF funds are set aside annually for the sole purpose of increasing public access opportunities for hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and other outdoors enthusiasts, and in part, will help increase access to 10 million acres of federal lands that are currently inaccessible to the public.