The greatest conservation program no one has ever heard of

When it comes to awe-inspiring public lands, Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation’s best hidden gems. Millions of acres of federal, state, and local public lands provide Pennsylvanians with a superior quality of life and enhance our economy. In fact, Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy is the fifth largest in the nation. Continued, sustained investment in these outdoor assets is needed to assure that they remain ready to enjoy. The recently-ended federal shutdown – the longest of its kind in U.S. history – has shone a bright spotlight on America’s national park system and the important role of federal oversight and stewardship needed to protect the nation’s most iconic outdoor places.Yet the reality is that our national parks have been in dire need of more funding, greater maintenance, and heightened protection even when the government is open.That’s because even before the government shutdown occurred, programs that protected our parks were on the chopping block. Last September, despite broad partisan support, Congress failed to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF. For more than 50 years, the LWCF has preserved and improved federal, state, and local parks and open spaces.Incredibly, the LWCF has supported projects in every state and nearly every county in the U.S., from iconic sites like the Gettysburg National Park, the Appalachian Trail and the Flight 93 Memorial to Pennsylvania’s state parks and local trails, pools and playgrounds.