Simpson recognized conservation law leadership

Congressman Mike Simpson received the national Land Trust Alliance’s Public Leadership Conservation Award for his role in passing the Great American Outdoors Act. Simpson received the award at the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts' recent meeting.

The act provides full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s premier program for conserving natural areas of exceptional public value. The act also funds local recreational facilities and provides $9.5 billion for much-needed maintenance at our national parks, refuges and public lands.

“The Land Trust Alliance is proud to join the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts in recognizing U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson for his steadfast leadership on and commitment to land conservation,” said Lori Faeth, the Land Trust Alliance’s government relations director. “His consistent support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund played a key role in the permanent reauthorization of this critical program and ensuring it has full and dedicated funding. Through this and other work, he brings people in his district and across the nation together to find solutions to common challenges. This is why the Land Trust Alliance is honored to recognize him as the 2020 recipient of our Public Leadership Conservation Award.”

Simpson said he was honored to receive the award.

“We are so fortunate to have amazing public lands in Idaho and caring for them has always been a top priority for me in Congress," Simpson said. "The combination of LWCF and funding for deferred maintenance, paid for by a dedicated funding source, ensures that these lands will be preserved not just for me and those living today, but the future generations who deserve to hike in the Sawtooths or float the South Fork of the Snake.”