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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Sunset for Conservation Program Draws Near

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Monday, August 13, 2018   

DENVER – The Land and Water Conservation Fund, financed by fees from offshore oil and gas production, will expire on Sept. 30 if Congress doesn't act.

Suzanne O'Neill, executive director of the Colorado Wildlife Federation, calls the fund one of the nation's best conservation programs that has been tapped to preserve wildlife habitat and open spaces, and to create parks and public access to outdoor recreation.

"Essentially, it's provided an investment stream into our outdoor recreation economy in Colorado,” she points out. “Over the years, we've received approximately $268 million from this fund."

According to the U.S. Census, each year more than two million people hunt, fish, or view wildlife in Colorado, activities that contribute $3 billion to the state's economy.

In addition to hundreds of park projects across Colorado, the program has helped protect places such as Great Sand Dunes National Park, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument and Uncompahgre, Arapaho-Roosevelt, Gunnison and Rio Grande national forests.

The Trump administration's proposed 2019 budget would eliminate the Land and Water Conservation Fund's budget.

Tracy Stone-Manning, associate vice president for public lands with the National Wildlife Federation, says if that budget is approved by Congress, no federal land conservation projects would be funded for America's national parks, forests and wildlife refuges, and other public lands.

"For the last 50 years, we have been creating these remarkable public places, from urban parks to protecting wildlife habitat, and we have an obligation now to the future to ensure that this incredible American conservation success story continues," she states.

U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R) and Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado, and Reps. Mike Coffman (R), Diana DeGette (D), Ed Perlmutter (D) and Jared Polis (D) support reauthorizing the program with permanent funding.

Reps. Ken Buck (R), Doug Lamborn (R) and Scott Tipton (R) have yet to co-sponsor legislation to reauthorize the program.


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