Rep. Susie Lee Commemorates 55th Anniversary of Wilderness Act, Creation of Land and Water Conservation Fund

Las Vegas, Nev. - Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) released the following statement to mark the 55th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Wilderness Act and commemorate the creation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), established one year later:

"Fifty-five years ago, Congress passed the Wilderness Act with overwhelming bipartisan majority and created the Land and Conservation Fund. This legislation recognized the crucial importance of protecting and conserving our public lands, including southern Nevada's most precious public lands: Red Rock Canyon, Sloan Canyon, and Lake Mead, among many.

"I am glad that Congress was again able to come together this session and permanently reauthorize the LWCF as part of the largest public lands package in congressional history. This accomplishment is a reminder that Congress has the ability to rise above political partisanship to find solutions that benefit all of us.

"It is wrong to define environmental policy as a zero-sum game, and I reject the notion that we must choose between economic growth and protecting our planet. Now more than ever, we need to harness the urgency and bipartisanship that led to the passage of the LWCF reauthorization, and continue to pass common-sense environmental policy to conserve our public lands, fight climate change, and leave our earth well off for future generations."

BACKGROUND: In February 2019, Rep. Lee championed and helped pass the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which was signed into law by the President on March 12, 2019. This sweeping public lands package included the permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.