Congressman George Miller's Blog - Rep. Miller Calls For Continued Support Of The Land and Water Conservation Fund

Statement

Today's the first day of Spring, so let's celebrate by protecting important places like Mount Diablo State Park. Mt. Diablo is home to extraordinary biological diversity, cultural and natural resources. The park stretches over 20,000 acres wide, peaks at over 3,800 feet, and is home to some of California's most treasured animals including grey foxes, peregrine falcons, and golden eagles!

Mount Diablo is a testament to what we can do when we stand together to protect our environment. Through the efforts of generations of Americans, we have preserved and protected the state park with smart policies and adequate funding. One of these important resources to help ensure Mt. Diablo remains an open space for the admiration and recreation of all Californians and visitors is the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund requires reauthorization from Congress this year -- for 50 years it has taken a small portion of the governments profits from off-shore oil-drilling and put it aside for conservation purposes. Senator Patty Murray's budget right now calls for full funding of the LWCF, and I support her efforts. I'm proud of the progress the Land and Water Conservation Fund has achieved, including protecting places at home in Contra Costa County like Mount Diablo State Park, Paso Nogal Park, and the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.

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