Congress Must Reauthorize Land and Water Conservation Fund to Support Public Lands and Small Businesses Depending on Them
Statement by John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, on the need to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, set to expire in less than 100 days; the fund protects public lands that economically boost small businesses and local communities
The federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which protects our country's public lands that create economic opportunities for small businesses, is set to expire in less than 100 days unless lawmakers act quickly to reauthorize it. Small business owners understand the connection between the preservation of public lands and their bottom lines. National parks and monuments bring tourism dollars to their businesses and attract talented employees. Many entrepreneurs start businesses in communities near public lands for these very reasons.
A group of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle held a press conference on Capitol Hill today calling for the immediate reauthorization of the Conservation Fund, which has been around for 50 years and is used to acquire and preserve a vast array of public lands. The fund receives its funding from fees paid by oil and gas companies that do offshore drilling, which it uses to protect national parks and monuments. It also provides matching grants for state and local governments to use for local parks, trails, playgrounds and more.
Small business owners are strongly in favor of reauthorizing the Conservation Fund because protecting public lands is good for their business. Scientific polling of Louisiana small businesses found 4 in 5 entrepreneurs believe the Conservation Fund can create outdoor recreation opportunities, which support local jobs and small businesses. Additionally, a sweeping 90 percent of small business owners in Western states believe public spaces that draw tourists can boost business for local restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and more.
Should Congress fail to reauthorize the fund by the end of September, many of our public lands will be at risk, and the economic ramifications will burden the small employers who depend on them. Entrepreneurs have seen firsthand how protecting public lands attracts customers and bolsters the economy, so it should come as no surprise that they overwhelmingly support saving the fund. Congress should listen to small businesses and reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund now.
About Small Business Majority
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.