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Habitat Conservation and the Land and Water Conservation Fund

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCF) is a visionary law enacted by Congress in 1964 through bipartisan recognition of the importance of safeguarding special places and providing outdoor recreation opportunities.

Chances are the average American has never heard of LWCF. But most Americans are probably more familiar with its benefits than they realize. The LWCF has been a vital source of funding for creating and protecting parks, playgrounds, open space, wetlands, and wildlife habitat, increasing the quality of life of every American.

In a 1962 letter to Congress by President John Kennedy supporting the passage of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the President stated:

"Actions deferred are all too often opportunities lost, particularly in safeguarding our natural resources. I urge the enactment of this proposal at the earliest possible date so that a further significant step may be taken to assure the availability and accessibility of land and water-based recreation opportunities for all Americans."

Forty years later, these words are more true than ever. Although authorized at $900 million from revenues generated from federal offshore oil royalties, the LWCF has only been fully funded once. More than $16 billion remains in the Fund on paper as an unspent balance, but has been diverted to the federal treasury. Yet the pace of development and the conversion of open space to houses and asphalt have accelerated, at the same time that LWCF has dwindled. In addition, as the impacts of climate accelerate, the LWCF will be more important than ever in conserving and connecting key wildlife habitat areas.

A 2006 report by the U.S. Forest Service, “Cooperating Across Boundaries – Partnerships to Conserve Open Space in rural America” found that 6,000 acres of open space are lost to development each day, 4 acres each minute -- once these lands are lost, they can never be recovered.

President Obama has pledged to fully fund LWCF by 2014. His FY 2011 request includes an important down payment on that pledge – an increase of more than $100 million.

Highest Priority Needs for Wildlife Conservation

In a race to save species habitat before it is lost, Defenders of Wildlife evaluates hundreds of National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management land acquisition projects to determine some of the highest priority needs for wildlife conservation. In addition to the importance these projects have for wildlife, they demonstrate the enormous need of the federal land management agencies to protect our parks, wildlife refuges, forests, and other conservation lands. The projects we highlight are literally the tip of the iceberg, many more projects need to be completed before it is too late. Read our latest priority project lists.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund 2011 Projects
Read Defenders of Wildlife’s 2011 Land and Water Conservation Fund priority list, which evaluates projects to determine the highest priority needs for wildlife conservation.