There's an audacious move afoot in Congress: Not just fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but actually use all $900 million to help improve local, state, and national parks and recreation opportunities.

U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Max Baucus of Montana last Friday introduced legislation to permanently provide $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If approved by Congress and the president, the program will provide $450 million annually to states and local communities for close-to-home parks and outdoor recreation facilities. Additionally, $450 million will be available annually to the four federal land-managing agencies for national parks, forests, refuge acquisitions for land protection, and critical conservation.

"Since its inception in 1964, LWCF has led to the protection of more than 5 million acres of land and water across the country, including such irreplaceable landscapes as the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the redwood forests in California, the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, and Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska," Sen. Bingaman said in explaining his intentions. "Equally important, this program’s flexibility means that it also is used to protect what is sometimes most valuable to our communities—the lesser-known special places virtually in our own backyard."

Despite that track record, according to the National Recreation and Park Association only once since 1964 has Congress actually spent all the money on its intended projects. According to the group, each year $900 million goes into LWCF from oil and gas leases on federal land, but Congress often diverts the money for other purposes. This year, the fund saw its greatest allocation in many years at more than $300 million—just one third of the full allocation, the group said.

“Because the money hasn’t been spent as intended, there is a backlog of more than $30 billion worth of lands that federal agencies would like to protect. In addition, states say they have a huge unmet need for local parks and recreation resources totaling more than $27 billion in eligible projects,” said Stacey Pine, NRPA's chief government affairs officer.

NRPA and other conservation and recreation organizations support S. 2747, and have pledged to work toward generating further public support for the bill.

"We are seeing significant support of close-to-home parks and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Ms. Pine. “Local bond issues for parks and recreation pass over 64 percent percent of the time. New Jersey just elected a conservative tax-cutting governor and at the same time approved a $400 million bond for state and local parks, conservation and historic preservation.”

Barbara Tulipane, the chief executive officer of the association, added that, “With the Ken Burns PBS documentary on national parks, and national conservation thought leaders gathering across the country, making bold recommendations and creating a national dialogue, Americans are vocalizing that their iconic national parks as well as the close-to-home outdoor experience is something that they want to secure and be a mainstay in their lives.”

Also supporting the two senators' effort is the National Parks Conservation Association.

“We applaud Senators Jeff Bingaman and Max Baucus for introducing legislation to require the full authorization of $900 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund," said Ron Tipton, the group's senior vice president, in a prepared statement. "If enacted, this permanent source of funding would provide a significant investment in our national parks, trails, and historic and cultural sites across the nation.

“For 45 years, this program has helped protect the lands we love in our national parks, from America’s treasured park landscapes in the West to significant historic sites in the East. Unfortunately, the program has been woefully underfunded in recent years, putting our parks, wildlife, and national heritage at risk from inappropriate development."