AP Photo/Mead Gruver
(Derek Draplin) – The U.S. Department of Interior announced over $170 million in grants funded without taxpayer dollars will be distributed to state parks and outdoor recreation projects in all 50 states.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said Thursday that $170,623,713 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will be implemented by the National Park Service.
The grants aren’t funded by taxpayer dollars since the LWCF is funded by revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leasing.
“Using zero taxpayer dollars, LWCF invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help rehabilitate and improve infrastructure at state and local parks and other recreation areas,” Bernhardt said. “Funds will also be used to maximize access by opening up landlocked public lands. A small investment in a little strip of land can open up thousands of acres to outdoor recreation enthusiasts.”
LWCF, which was passed by Congress in 1964, was permanently reauthorized by Congress earlier this year.
Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, a trade group representing the oil and gas industry, noted that oil and natural gas development is the sole source of funding for LWCF.
“The industry is a strong environmental partner across the West, both through countless private donations to conservation groups and initiatives as well as direct on-the-ground conservation work,” Sgamma said.
The states that allocated the most money are California ($14,564,940), Texas ($9,746,191), New York ($7,941,700), Florida ($7,869,846), Illinois ($5,726,425), and Pennsylvania ($5,430,820).
Of western states, Washington received $3,577,901, Arizona received $3,541,391, Colorado received $3,034,579, and Nevada received $2,292,912.
Here’s how much each state and territory receives:
Alabama: $2,689,167
Alaska: $1,548,962
American Samoa: $100,000
Arizona: $3,541,391
Arkansas: $2,145,470
California: $14,564,940
Colorado: $3,034,579
Connecticut: $2,557,032
Delaware: $1,635,930
District of Columbia: $391,688
Florida: $7,869,846
Georgia: $4,389,379
Guam: $104,640
Hawaii: $1,812,894
Idaho: $1,817,757
Illinois: $5,726,425
Indiana: $3,346,039
Idaho: $2,229,844
Kansas: $2,231,831
Kentucky: $2,558,960
Louisiana: $2,748,844
Maine: $1,659,106
Maryland: $3,297,805
Massachusetts: $3,623,566
Michigan: $4,441,165
Minnesota: $2,989,532
Mississippi: $2,118,928
Missouri: $3,168,557
Montana: $1,611,602
Nebraska: $1,906,325
Nevada: $2,292,912
New Hampshire: $1,713,672
New Jersey: $4,454,876
New Mexico: $1,996,570
New York: $7,941,700
North Carolina: $4,168,859
North Dakota: $1,529,494
Northern Marianas: $100,000
Ohio: $5,038,141
Oklahoma: $2,453,004
Oregon: $2,590,904
Pennsylvania: $5,430,820
Puerto Rico: $2,369,821
Rhode Island: $1,702,981
South Carolina: $2,713,499
South Dakota: $1,564,430
Tennessee: $3,225,968
Texas: $9,746,191
Utah: $2,295,171
Virgin Islands: $100,000
Vermont: $1,489,677
Virginia: $3,864,426
Washington: $3,577,901
West Virginia: $1,823,422
Wisconsin: $3,073,041
Wyoming: $1,504,029
By Derek Draplin | The Center Square
Derek Draplin is a regional editor at The Center Square. He previously worked as an opinion producer at Forbes, and as a reporter at Michigan Capitol Confidential and The Detroit News. He’s also an editor at The Daily Caller.