The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on a draft bill by Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) to overhaul the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Bishop’s proposal was praised by some, including State Park advocates who believe the bill restores Congress’ original intent to the program that the stateside program receives 60 percent of the funding. The Department of the Interior, however, criticized the bill for being overly-prescriptive and for subsidizing the oil and gas industry.
While Bishop acknowledged that there will likely be some changes to his draft, he does not support a straight reauthorization of the existing program. Ranking Member Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) requested a second hearing on the issue so that Democrats could call their own witnesses. It is unlikely that Bishop’s bill would pass Congress in its current form give strong opposition from Democrats, as well as some pro-LWCF Republicans.