A win when we needed it
By Nick Simonson
The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill which would provide permanent funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) through royalties generated by offshore drilling in federal waters around the United States, represents a bright, optimistic light in a time of challenge and a future full of opportunities. In a moment in history when nearly everything seems to be dividing American society - from continued racial injustice issues overflowing into the streets, to online flame-fests over whether or not to wear a face covering to the grocery store - the bi-partisan approval of the bill which now sits on the President’s desk for signature encompasses what the outdoors can do for not
only individuals, but also our country and provides a point of unification when it is most needed. Throughout the past few months, I, along with millions of others have sought
sanctuary in the outdoors. Whether launching my little boat from the concrete slabs on my favorite trout, bass and walleye lakes, to running up a trail on my favorite stretch
of forested hills on the edge of town, the outdoors has continued to provide the mental reset and relief that it has in other times of personal challenge, or just when I’ve needed a moment to disconnect from the day-to-day. It’s likely that these access points to the aquatic world and a few hours of fly fishing, jigging or slow trolling, or a forty-five minute jaunt to get the heart rate up and the rings closed on my watch, have at some point benefitted from dollars that come from the LWCF.
