Reforming the Land and Water Conservation Fund: An Outdoor Recreation Analysis

Outdoor recreation in the U.S. provides economic, social, and health benefits to participants. This study provides evidence for why the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) should be funded, now that it has been permanently reauthorized. Since its inception in 1965, LWCF has provided federal and state support for conservation and recreation initiatives, with a primary focus on land acquisition. In this report, I analyze data to demonstrate why LWCF should be funded not only for land acquisition, but also to promote outdoor recreation by evaluating the stateside assistance program administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The study uses two approaches: 1) apply the benefit transfer method and use multiple linear regression to estimate consumer benefits of outdoor recreation participation in a sample of state parks, and 2) identify how states have developed alternative funding sources to match LWCF grants. Adequate funding for recreation and conservation is imperative to ensure that current and future generations can reap the benefits of outdoor recreation.