Press Release
June 18, 2020
CONTACT:
Jennifer Molina | [email protected] | 213.537.6324
FRESNO – The California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) today announced the launch of a digital ad campaign in support of the Great American Outdoors Act, a crucial conservation effort to protect public lands. The bill would provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and fuel economic growth and development in over 40,000 state and local parks supported by this program.
Specifically, the ad campaign targets Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) for previously not voting in favor of fully funding LWCF, despite current bipartisan support. Over the past four weeks, the campaign encouraged Congressman McCarthy’s constituents to urge him to be in favor of the bill that is now heading to Congress, with the framing of “we love our public lands, why doesn’t Rep. McCarthy?”
“Fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund is win-win for every community. Our public lands make our communities stronger and more resilient,” said Mike Young, EnviroVoters’ Political and Organizing Director. “An essential part of our collective national recovery is making sure Americans have access to the outdoors. Permanent funding for the LWCF will only result in public land protections and economic growth.”
Earlier this week, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill – the Great American Outdoors Act. Right now, Congress has the chance to permanently fund LWCF. The LWCF will help expand access to the outdoors and protect our public lands for future generations. These public lands support over 7 million American jobs and create billions of dollars in economic output for communities across the country. Investing in LWCF is an investment in the economic lifeblood of many communities.
California is rich with public lands that serve as an escape from everyday life for many. California’s public lands also protect wildlife habitat, help combat climate change by sequestering carbon emissions, and are important drivers for regional economies across the state. California’s parks, beaches, and public lands have benefited from $2.5 billion from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) over the past half century. This includes places like the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Anza Borrego Desert, and Huntington State Beach.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS
California Environmental Voters (formerly the California League of Conservation Voters) believes the climate crisis is here and this moment requires transformative change. California has the policy solutions to stop climate change but lacks the political will to do it at the rate and scale that’s necessary. EnviroVoters exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. We organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. We won’t stop until we have resilient, healthy, thriving communities, and a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all. Join us at www.envirovoters.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. See more press releases.
