Cantwell, Reichert lead bipartisan effort on LWCF, critical federal funding for parks

You may have never heard of the Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), but you've most likely benefited from it. Odds are some of your favorite parks are a result. Since Congress started the fund in 1964, Washington has received a total of $660 million, which has gone to projects like turning an old Naval air station into Magnuson Park. On Monday Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell and Republican Representative Dave Reichert gathered at Gasworks Park in Seattle to call for permanent full funding of LWCF. Secretary of the Interior and former REI CEO Sally Jewell joined them at Gasworks Park, which was renovated from an old abandoned industrial site 40 years ago with money from LWCF. When it expired last year, Senator Cantwell was able to push an extension through Congress; A bipartisan conference put together the plan to fully fund LWCF at $900 million per year nationwide. Congressman Reichert called the LWCF a common sense project and is confident it will pass by the end of the year...more

 Yes, spending money to grow the size of government always seems to be bipartisan.