Rep. Reichert Honored as a Conservation Champion

ROSLYN, WA. β€” The Nature Conservancy honored Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08) with a Conservation Champion award for his leadership on behalf of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Mike Stevens, state director for The Nature Conservancy, presented the award in Roslyn on August 9th.

β€œOver the past decade, Rep. Reichert has stepped up again and again on behalf of conservation.  He has been a consistent champion for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and has fought for permanent reauthorization of this popular and successful program,” said Stevens. β€œWe are grateful for his leadership, his strong voice articulating why parks and outdoor spaces are so important for people and families, and his efforts to bring people together in this cause.”

β€œThe beauty of our region is one of Washington’s greatest assets and is a constant reminder of the importance of preserving our natural resources for the benefit of all Americans,” said Reichert. β€œThe Nature Conservancy is doing great work across the country to keep our forests and landscapes pristine for future generations to enjoy.  It was an honor to receive their award recognizing my efforts in support of the critical Land and Water Conservation Fund, and I look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.”

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has a 50-year history of conserving iconic landscapes in every state and is responsible for more than 40,000 state and local outdoor recreation projects such as playgrounds, urban parks, refuges, and baseball fields. The Fund was recently renewed for three years, and conservation and recreation advocates are seeking long-term reauthorization of this program, which has invested over $600 million in Washington State alone in the past 50 years. The Nature Conservancy recently partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, using LWCF funds, to protect several parcels of land along the Pacific Crest Trail in Kittitas County.

Nationally, outdoor recreation, natural resource conservation, and historic preservation provide a minimum $1.7 trillion in economic impact in the U.S. and support 12.8 million jobs. (Southwick study, May 2013). In Washington, outdoor recreation generates $22.5 billion dollars in consumer spending and supports 227,000 jobs.