State Tourism Dollars Could Be at Stake

The U-S House is set to make a budget decision this week that could mean less money for Wyoming recreation and tourism projects. The Interior Department budget bill ‘de-funds’ the Land and Water Conservation Fund – bringing it to its lowest level ever. Neil Thagard with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in Wyoming says it’s important to understand the connection between that funding and state economics. More than 70-million dollars has come to Wyoming from the fund over the years for parks, hunting and fishing access, and wildlife habitat…






A new national poll (Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition) shows 88 percent of Americans support the funding, with no significant difference in that opinion by party affiliation or region. Thagard points out that the bill has another downside. It's attached with several riders that he says take aim at all sorts of outdoor attributes, like clean air and water…






The House bill would put the L-W-C-F at 61-million dollars, which Wyoming Congressman Cynthia Lummis approved last week. Full funding would be 900-million dollars. The L-W-C-F is not tied to taxpayer dollars, the money comes from a small percentage of fees from offshore oil and gas drilling. The House plan up for a vote would use those funds elsewhere in the federal budget.