New York League of Conservation Voters
(212) 361-6350, Ext. 206
For Immediate Release: February 19, 2019
Contact: Shachar Sharon, ssharon@nylcv.org
NYLCV Conducts Ad Campaign to Support Land & Water Conservation Fund
New York, N.Y. – The New York League of Conservation Fund is conducting a digital ad campaign to encourage U.S. House Members to vote in support of the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) that was recently passed in by the U.S. Senate.
Since its creation in 1965, the LWCF has invested $8.2 billion in projects in every U.S. county, spanning the range of wildlife reserves to public pools. In New York State, LWCF has provided funding for over 1,200 projects to help protect some of New York’s most special places and ensure recreational access for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. New York has received approximately $326.6 million in LWCF funding over the past five decades, protecting places such as Robert Moses State Park in Suffolk County to Jones Beach in Nassau County to Riverbank State Park in Upper Manhattan to the Bronx River Bikeway in Westchester. However, the last Congress let the program expire on September 30, 2018.
The video ads feature New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, and Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Viewers are encouraged to take action by contacting their Congress Members, urging them to vote to pass the public lands legislative package that will permanently reauthorize the LWCF. The ads marked the final push of NYLCV’s public awareness advocacy campaign for the LWCF that began last summer. Over 2,000 New Yorkers have already taken action.
NYLCV President Julie Tighe said, “Everyone deserves a chance to enjoy the outdoors and have access to clean, healthy water and air. Many families throughout our state rely on public lands for access to recreational space and to be closer to nature. Parks and greenspaces are not only areas for children to play in, but they also help improve air and water quality and reduce pollution. That’s why conserving our parks, playgrounds, and beaches is one of our top priorities. The LWCF helps protect these vital areas. We are grateful for our partners in elected office who helped champion the program and we thank all our members who took action.”
NYLCV’s public awareness advocacy campaign was a part of the national Our Lands, Our Voice campaign conducted with dozens of other states.
The New York League of Conservation Voters is the only non-partisan, statewide environmental organization in New York that takes a pragmatic approach to fighting for clean water, healthy air, renewable energy, and open space. For more information, visit www.nylcv.org.
###