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What Can LWCF Money Buy? Complete a Project
In 1994, Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act. With this groundbreaking legislation, Congress set aside more than 7 million acres of California desert, 3.5 million of which was which was given official Wilderness Area designation. The Act created two national parks, Death Valley and Joshua Tree, as well as the Mojave National Preserve. The fragile California desert stretches 100 miles from east to west and 240 miles from north to south. This magnificent desert offers a landscape like no other, from high alpine snowfields to dry, barren salt playas. The desert provides critical habitat for an array of wildlife, including the endangered desert tortoise. But the California Desert is in danger, stripped of vegetation by grazing, mining, gravel pits, population growth, and rampant, unrestricted off-road vehicle use.
The California Desert Protection Act was a great victory in the fight to protect the desert, safeguarding more public lands in the lower 48 states than any act since the original Wilderness Act. But gaps in the new protected areas remain. Because the lands in the Mojave Desert are owned in a "checkerboard" pattern; not all the lands encompassed within the new park boundaries are in federal ownership. Fortunately, the tireless efforts of activists, coupled with the threat of bankruptcy, have persuaded the primary owner of these "inholdings," the Catellus Corporation, to sell the remaining land needed to complete the vision of the Desert Act. Money from the LWCF could provide the Park Service the money it needs to make the necessary purchases. Restore a Wetland
But the fragile balance that made this wildland flourish has been tragically altered. Nearly half the Everglades have been drained. Nine out of every 10 wading birds have disappeared, and the Florida Panther count stands perilously at 30. Species that once thrived in the Everglades are now officially endangered, including the wood stork, the West Indian manatee and the American Crocodile. Plans are under way to restore the Everglade's natural balance. The purchase of new lands -- to help protect habitat and to store more water -- is a key element. Congress has already authorized the purchase of lands in and around the Everglades National Park, and landowners are ready and willing to sell. But money from the LWCF is needed to help deliver on Congress' promise. Protect Land for the Future In addition to enhancing existing parks and refuges, LWCF gives us the resources to create new parks that today only exist on paper -- and in our imaginations. For instance, in Maine, wildlands advocates including the Sierra Club have supported the creation of the Maine Woods National Park and Preserve, a 3.2 million acre park that would protect the heart of the Maine Woods and help maintain the precious ecosytstems of the Northern Forest. The Maine Woods are home to black bear, moose, beaver, wild turkey, loon and a host of wildlife that symbolize America's wildlands. The natural areas of the Maine Woods have provided solitude and retreat from crowded eastern cities for decades. And its mountains, trails and rivers provide recreation for hundreds of thousands of skiers, hikers, anglers and hunters every year. But logging activity has fractured this primeval ecoregion. The Maine Woods' most precious forested areas have been in the hands of private timber and paper companies, whose damaging clearcutting practices threaten the forest to this very day. Broad and diverse support abounds for the creation of the Maine Woods National Park and Preserve -- an initiative that would go a long way toward preserving the wilderness that has captivated Americans for hundreds of years. As the recent massive sell-off of corporate land in Maine illustrates, willing sellers in the heart of the Maine Woods exist. Money from a fully funded LWCF would be a crucial first step to making the dream of a National Park and Preserve a reality Photos (top and middle) courtesy National Park Service. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
Since its creation, the LWCF has been used to purchase more than 7 million acres of land and water resources within our national lands system. Despite its being grossly underfunded, over $9 billion has been spent through the LWCF to protect such grand places as Yellowstone National Park and Cape Cod National Seashore. But a lot of great projects go unfinished due to the lack of funding for the LWCF. 
LWCF money can be used to help restore lands long recognized as America's natural treasures. For instance, in the Everglades, land acquisition is a key ingredient to repairing that unique ecosystem, where hundreds of thousands of wading birds once found refuge, and panthers, deer and crocodiles thrived in the great swamp.