Environmental groups are sounding the alarm over changes made to the federal government’s largest conservation and recreation fund.
The changes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund put up new barriers for private land owners seeking to sell their property to state and federal agencies to expand public land. Such sales will now require approval from the governor and county officials where the sale is proposed.
Environmental groups like Wild Montana also worry the new guidelines will reduce the ability of nonprofits to facilitate those types of land transfers. Aubrey Bertram is the organization’s policy director.
“I think it’s noteworthy that this is an imposition that an administration that has been all about eliminating regulations, eliminating red tape, is imposing through this order,” Bertram told MTPR. “I just think it’s ironic.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month issued the order changing the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The 60-year-old program is funded through royalties from offshore oil and gas leasing. It helps pay for recreation and conservation projects on state and federal land.
That includes nearly 2,000 projects totaling more than $600 million in Montana since the fund was established, according to the Trust for Public Lands.
A coalition of more than a dozen Montana conservation groups is urging the secretary to reverse the changes.
