Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R), with a group of 12 bipartisan colleagues, today sent a letter urging the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) before it expires on September 30, 2018.

“For the economy, sportsmen, veterans, wildlife, and our kids and grandkids, we must permanently reauthorize LWCF. We also strongly request that you include mandatory full funding in any LWCF reauthorization package,” the senators wrote.

Earlier this month, Bennet and Gardner published an op-ed calling for the reauthorization and full funding of LWCF. Bennet and Gardner also have cosponsored legislation to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the LWCF.

The LWCF has supported more than 42,000 state and local projects in communities across the country. The program is funded by a portion of federal oil and gas royalties, operating without any taxpayer funding. However, since its founding in 1965, more than $21 billion has been diverted from the LWCF trust fund to other purposes.

In addition to Bennet and Gardner, signatories include U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Udall (D-UT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

A copy of the letter is available HERE.