HomeMy WebLinkAboutReauthorizeLWCF_Pitkin 2018�ff 'IN
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
September 5, 2018
Re: Permanently Reauthorize Land and Water Conservation Fund
Dear Senators Bennet and Gardner and Representative Tipton:
530 East Main Street
Aspen, Colorado 81611
Phone: (970) 920-5200
www.pitkincounty.com
We are writing today to ensure your support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
The LWCF has played a critical role in providing funding for several projects in Pitkin County and
continues to be a valuable program for communities large and small across Colorado. We urge
you to continue your efforts to seek permanent reauthorization and full funding of the LWCF
before the program runs out at the end of this month. The LWCF protects environmentally
sensitive local and federal public lands and waters, all of which are integral to our local economy,
which is dependent to a great degree upon outdoor recreation, ranging from bird-watching to
hunting.
In Pitkin County, the LWCF was essential in the acquisition of one of the first open spaces
preserved in 1979. The North Star Preserve has been a foundational natural area for the
community for nearly 40 years and jumpstarted the Open Space and Trails program. This
acquisition may never have happened without the LWCF. To date, the LWCF has funded $448,000
worth of public open space-related projects in Pitkin County, including the Wingo Junction Trail
Crossing which ensures safe recreational access over Highway 82.
LWCF funding has leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars of state, local, and private matching
funds to contribute to the betterment of Colorado and well-being of its citizens, and its
reauthorization is critical to our future. Now more than ever, with the rapid expansion of
Colorado's population and ever more common water shortages throughout the Colorado River
basin, Coloradans need the tool of LWCF to protect public land access, critical drinking water
supplies, and community resources.
We thank you for your support of LWCF and request that you continue your bipartisan efforts to
see that the program is permanently reauthorized and continues in perpetuity at its fully
authorized amount of $900 million.
Sincerely,
'--j) (JJ;(t_,� -fat�i Clapper
Chair
Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners
Cc: Representative DeGette
Representative Polis
Representative Buck
Representative Lamborn
Representative Coffman
Representative Perlmutter