Protecting America’s cornerstone conservation program

After more than 50 years of funding America’s national park system -- including iconic places in Pennsylvania such as Gettysburg, Valley Forge and the Delaware Water Gap -- inaction by Congress allowed...

After more than 50 years of funding America’s national park system — including iconic places in Pennsylvania such as Gettysburg, Valley Forge and the Delaware Water Gap — inaction by Congress allowed the nation’s preeminent conservation funding program to expire on Sept. 30.

Known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, this program not only funds some of the nation’s most majestic and well-known public lands, it has also funded thousands of local and state park preservation efforts across the country.

PennEnvironment has launched a rapid-response campaign to convince Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to lead the campaign to convince Congress to renew this program as quickly as possible. This is critical to ensure future conservation projects and wild places in Pennsylvania and across the nation will have the funds necessary to succeed. PennEnvironment has gotten thousands of concerned citizens to email, call and write members of Congress demanding action; garnered news coverage across the state; and is meeting directly with the state’s congressional delegation to build their support.

Photo: Our Conservation Associate, Jess Bellwoar, organizes concerned citizens to take action against repealing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Credit: Staff.