In August, the Voicereported that the Land and Water Conservation Fund is in peril.  The Land and Water Conservation Fund is funded by part of the royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling.  It funds projects to protect national parks and open spaces in every corner of the United States. In the 52 years of its existence it has invested more than $241 million to protect West Virginia’s forests, wildlife refuges, and historic sites. These include such places as the Monongahela National Forest, Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, Gauley River National Recreation Area, and Canaan Valley State Park.

Now the Fund is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2018, unless Congress votes to renew it.

Senators Shelly Capito and Joe Manchin have joined twelve other Senators in a letter to Sen. Mitch McConnel, Majority Leader, and Sen. Charles Schumer, Minority Leader, asking that they support permanent reauthorization of the LWCF and provided it with dedicated funding.