Letter: Death of our public lands

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established in 1964. It was created to promote recreational opportunities and protect natural areas, water resources, and cultural sites in the United States. Funding comes from offshore oil and gas revenues, not from taxpayers.

It was established with the majority of support from both political parties to support all of our Public Lands – our National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and other Public Lands. After 50 years of supporting our Public Lands, the LWCF was renewed under the Great American Outdoor Act in 2020. This act also had bipartisan support.

President Trump’s FY 2026 Budget proposes to divert nearly 90% of LWCF’s conservation funding to unrelated uses. This would gut the core of the Great American Outdoors Act and deny our Public Lands the life support that they must have to survive. Their workforce has already been eviscerated. There would be little to no operational support. It would be the death of our Public Lands as we now know them.

It has been said that bad things happen when good people do nothing. Indiana is a State of good people, as is our Country. It is time for those good people to stand up and speak out for all our Public Lands. I urge you to call our Senators and tell them not to support a budget that puts our Public Lands at risk and that diverts the LWCF from its intended sources.

All it will take is a call to your U.S. Senators: Jim Banks, 202-224-4814 and Todd Young, 202-224-5623.

We can no longer sit back and do nothing. Our Public Lands are at stake.

Nancy Gehlhausen
Oakland City