EBS STAFF
HELENA – Sens.
John Tester and Steve Daines have secured more than $1.6 million in federal
grants that will expand access to public land and bolster Montana’s outdoor
recreation economy.
The grants come
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a pool of national dollars that was
set aside in 1964 to provide for conservation and recreation projects across
the U.S. Earlier this year, bipartisan legislation saw to the permanent
refunding of LWCF at a time when the funds were close to running out. LWCF is
now authorized to receive up to $900 million annually.
“The Land and
Water Conservation Fund is the best conservation tool we have to expand public
access to public lands and strengthen our $7.1 billion outdoor recreation
economy,” Tester said in a statement. “These investments are going to do
some real good for our outdoor way of life.”
Daines also
praised LWCF and the fund’s contribution to the state.
“This is great
news for Montana,” he said in a statement. “This LWCF funding could
help increase public access to public lands, expand access to fishing sites and
promote outdoor recreation.”
