Heinrich, Lujan Grisham to Join Community to Celebrate Land and Water Conservation Fund At Petroglyph National Monument
Landmark Conservation Law Set to Expire Next Month; Program has Brought $261 Million to New Mexico for Parks, Recreation, Access, Wildlife Habitat, Forests, and Clean Water
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, August 11, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and U.S Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham will join a diverse coalition of community leaders to celebrate the success of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) during its 50th anniversary with a visit to the Petroglyph National Monument.
At a press conference and community event, local leaders will call for reauthorization and full funding of the landmark conservation law that is set to expire on September 30. The public and media are encouraged to attend.
Senator Heinrich, a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is an original cosponsor of S. 890, a bill to permanently authorize and fully fund the LWCF, which is one of the most successful government programs in preserving our nation's precious natural and cultural resources and improving access to the outdoors in urban and rural communities. LWCF takes a portion of royalties from offshore oil and gas development and invests that money in national parks and historic sites; national wildlife refuges; watersheds; working forests; wildlife areas; and state and local parks, trails and ball fields.
LWCF has helped fund more than 40,000 projects nationwide, including the Petroglyph National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, and plays a vital role in boosting local economies. For every $1 invested through the fund, there is a return of $4 in economic activity.
What: Press Conference and Community Event
Who: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, U.S Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, LULAC New Mexico Executive Director Ralph Arellanes, New Mexico Wildlife Federation Executive Director Garrett VeneKlasen, and other local leaders.
When: Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at 10 a.m. MT
Where: Petroglyph National Monument Visitor Center, 6510 Western Trail NW, Albuquerque, N.M. 87120 (West of intersection of Western Trail NW and Unser) For directions, click here.
