The Arizona Wildlife Federation strongly opposes Secretarial Order 3442, signed this week by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, which undermines the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). For over 50 years, the LWCF has been a bipartisan commitment to conserve wildlife habitat, safeguard waters, protect cultural heritage, and expand public access for hunters, anglers, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts. Its mission has always been straightforward: reinvest revenues from offshore oil and gas development into the conservation of America’s land and water.

This approach has worked. LWCF has helped protect national treasures like the Grand Canyon, while also supporting national forests, local parks, trails, and community recreation areas across the country. In 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act permanently dedicated $900 million in offshore energy revenues to LWCF every year, strengthening its ability to deliver conservation and recreation benefits nationwide.

“LWCF is a groundbreaking investment in conservation and outdoor access,” said Michael Cravens, Advocacy and Conservation Director for the Arizona Wildlife Federation. “Secretarial Order 3442 would add an unnecessary layer of red tape, giving state governors and county officials veto power over projects that already undergo rigorous public and internal review. And just as troubling is that it opens the door for the mass transfer or disposal of federal public lands — something the American public has repeatedly and resoundingly rejected when it’s attempted without public input taken into account.”

LWCF already has a strong, transparent process that includes public input and ensures projects meet conservation and access goals. Bypassing that process through executive or secretarial orders is not only unnecessary, but it risks undoing decades of conservation progress and weakening the public’s voice in decisions about our shared lands and waters.