WV Public Lands Update: Historic Public Lands Bill Passes Congress, Note from Campaign Coordinator
Great American Outdoors Act Passed by Congress
At last, the moment so many conservationists have been waiting for — permanent and full dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund! This victory was made possible thanks to Congressional passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a monumental piece of legislation which provides much needed funding for the protection of our great public lands. Read more here.
The Great American Outdoors Act makes sure the Land and Water Conservation Fund receives $900 million each year for the support of conservation and recreation projects on public lands. Additionally, the Act allocates $9.5 billion, over five years, to address a huge backlog of public lands maintenance needs. The Act now heads to the President’s desk where it is expected to be signed into law next week. Learn more about the Great American Outdoors Act.
We are especially proud of West Virginia’s members of Congress for their leadership on the Act. Senator Manchin was the legislation’s lead sponsor and all of our Congress members were co-sponsors! Please join us in thanking our members of Congress for their dedication to our public lands.
Legislation that Helps Wildlife and Public Lands Passes House
On July 1, the largest infrastructure package in decades, The Moving Forward Act (H.R.2), passed the House of Representatives.
The legislative package promotes safe wildlife crossings, clean water, sustainable energy, climate change solutions, environmental justice, and much more! Specifically, wildlife and public lands receive support through measures like:
- Funding wildlife conservation efforts aimed at helping wildlife identified as species of concern under the Endangered Species Act.
- Providing $300 million to support the development of wildlife crossings on federal lands.
- Investing in the restoration and maintenance of wildlife corridors to maintain wildlife movements across public, private and tribal lands.
Learn more about H.R.2 from our partners at the National Wildlife Federation.
A Note from WV Rivers’ New Campaigns Coordinator
Hi Everyone,
I hope you and your families are well during these crazy times.
I am the new Campaigns Coordinator for WV Rivers, Sarah Cross. In this position, I am organizing the WV for Public Lands Campaign, as well as working on other projects, such as Climate Change in WV. You can read more about my background at wvrivers.org.
I’m looking forward to working with you on these efforts. My experiences growing up in the woods, fields, and waterways of West Virginia have given me a great appreciation for the wild places here, and so it is a privilege to join the WV Rivers team.
The protection of waterways and drinking water systems in WV are more important now than ever. Thank you all for your support, partnerships, and/or work to protect our great natural resources!
Interested in collaborating or learning more? Please feel free to reach out to me at scross@wvrivers.org or at 304-637-7201.
Take Care,
Sarah Cross, Ph.D.
Monongahela National Forest Access Updates
The Forest Service continues to provide guidance on use of developed recreational sites to keep visitors safe. You can find up-to-date information about access and restrictions within the Mon National Forest here.
