The U-S House is poised to vote on a massive public-lands bill – that reauthorizes a program that has funded hundreds of parks, pools and wilderness areas in Missouri over the past 55 years. The Natural Resources Management Act creates one-point-three million acres of new wilderness across the country. It also makes permanent the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has funneled 140-million dollars over the years into the Show-Me State alone. Zac Treat, with Missouri Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, says preserving access to the great outdoors is something people on all sides of the political spectrum can support.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund was created in 1964 and expired after Congress failed to renew it in September. Since its inception, it has funded public-lands projects across the country to the tune of 8-point-2 billion dollars. That includes hundreds of sites in Missouri, including popular spots such as Roaring River, Trail of Tears, Lake of the Ozarks and Sam A. Baker state parks