Hannah Robinson

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, a 50-year-old program aiding public lands nationwide expired on September 30.

The LWCF was de-funded so the House Committee on Natural Resources can help the program fulfill its original intent that was created 50 years ago, according to a press release. For some special interest groups looking to expand the federal estate claimed the expiration is the end of the world, Committee Chair Rob Bishop (R-UT) said in the press release.

“The only thing that expires on September 30 is the ability to accrue additional revenues into the fund, which currently has an unappropriated balance of $20 billion in taxpayer dollars,” Bishop stated.

Curt Gowdy State Park Superintendent Bill Conner said he hates to see the LWCF go away. The park recently added 35 miles of non-motorized trails for Horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. While many sources of funding were used for the trails, the LWCF did play a role, said Conner.

The park has become and epic destination because of its appeal to mountain bikers and the trails in the park, said Conner.

“The LWCF has been a political football for a long time, and it’s never been funded adequately,” said Doug Wachob Director of Academics in the Haub School of Environment and Natural resources. “It’s never been funded adequately and hasn’t really lived up to its potential.”

Jessica Goad from the Center of Western Priorities, a nonpartisan conservation and advocacy organization, said projects to protect Wyoming’s national, state and urban parks may languish because there is a threatened funding source.

“Inholdings inside national parks now face a higher risk of development, local projects may face delays or cancellations, and there are fewer tools to protect hunting and fishing sites,” said Goad.

A specific use for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the past was to purchase inholdings, privately owned land within park boundaries. There are currently 43 national parks containing inholdings totaling at 1.6 million acres, said Goad.

“Congress has given the National Park Service limited authority to acquire these private inholdings from a willing seller,” said Goad. “If a property owner wants to sell his or her inholding to the National Park Service and protect the land for future generations, the only source of funding available to make the purchase is the LWCF.”

This may lead to private lands being sold to companies to be developed, added Goad. Arizona’s National Petrified Forest was denied money to buy a private ranch and the rancher sold to a potash mining company. Goad said that millions of acres are at risk for same situation occurring.

While there may be no money to buy inholdings there will be less money to pursue projects across the state of Wyoming.

Conner said budgets will be affected eventually with the current fiscal conditions of the state and the LWCF expiration. The budget is becoming ambiguous as Curt Gowdy State Park is growing. There is a new building planned, but no budget planned, said Conner.

“We are trying to do more and more with less and less,” said Conner. “It’s becoming tougher for all state parks, recreation sites and the forestry service.”

Goad said LWCF has been used to protect 40,000 urban parks, baseball diamonds and other outdoor parks all across the country and 60 percent of national parks have been protected over the past 50 years, said Goad. All states should be worried about the de-funding.

Wyoming does have its own fair share of public land with 47 percent being publicly owned, said Wachob The public land plays a significant role in Wyoming’s economy whether that is extraction, tourism or hunting.

There is a strong outdoor culture in Wyoming that prevents the selling off of public land and a strong outdoor culture that takes advantage of our vast amount of recreation locations, said Wachob.