The Columbian editorialized in support of the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, urging Congress to make funding for this critical program permanent. The US Congress is currently considering legislation to make funding for LWCF permanent, rather than subjecting it to the whims of the annual budget process.
Excerpt:
“The next time you stroll along Fallen Leaf Lake near Camas, or ride a bike along the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail through Vancouver, or take the kids to Kiwanis Park near Battle Ground, you can be thankful for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
For more than five decades, the federally approved fund has been used to purchase, maintain and improve spaces for the benefit of the public. But without reliable funding, the program amounts to little more than a good idea. Congress should require funding and prove that its support for the program is not simply an empty gesture.”
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