A new report released by a broad array of Montana conservation, timber and recreation groups details the economic and conservation benefits of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a federal program that takes fees paid by offshore oil and gas drilling companies and uses the money to buy or preserve natural areas for public benefit. LWCF has been used in Montana to buy and upgrade many of the state’s fishing access sites.
The LWCF has been the center of debate before, and the program will end unless it's re-authorized by Congress by September.