On Wednesday, four Wyoming elected officials joined more than 100 of their counterparts across the West in sending a letter to Congress to urge full funding for public lands in an upcoming stimulus package.
Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon and City Councilman Jim Standford, Albany County Commissioner Pete Gosar and Cheyenne City Councilman Pete Layborn signed the letter.
The letter asks for full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in upcoming legislation designed to provide an economic stimulus to restart the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The letter explains that outdoor recreation is a critical driver of local economies in the West and says investing in the fund will help with long-term recovery for gateway communities and states that rely on visitors to public lands.
The letter was drafted by the Mountain Pact, an organization of mountain communities in the West.
“Our national, state and local parks, trails and public lands are a critical economic driver for communities big and small, urban and rural, across the nation. Across the west, the travel and tourism industries have been taking a hit in the current crisis. Investing now in full funding for LWCF will help with a strong long-term recovery for gateway communities and states that rely on visitors to public lands,” Telluride, Colorado mayor DeLanie Young said in a news release.
