The Land and Water Conservation Fund, the most important and successful conservation and recreation program in U.S. history, is marking 60 years of promoting the nation’s spectrum of outdoor activities, and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable brings a strong focus on nationwide boating and fishing, though many in the boating industry aren’t aware of its importance.

About seven years ago, the ORR was initiated to bring information and recognition to the LWCF and others. Its formation was spearheaded by Thom Dammrich, former president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and NMMA president and ORR chairman Frank Hugelmeyer (then president of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association), along with other key players from boating and fishing, including the American Sportfishing Association, BoatUS, and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. ORR has played an important role in influencing policy decisions ever since.

Today, ORR is the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations representing more than 110,000 outdoor businesses in the recreation economy and its full spectrum of outdoor-related activities. Indeed, the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that outdoor recreation is an economic powerhouse that generated $1.1 trillion and 5 million American jobs in 2022. That comprises a whopping 2.2% of the nation’s economy and 3.2% of all employees in the country.

Moreover, boating represents the largest sector within the outdoor recreation economy. So the strength of the boating industry, coupled with the powerful overall economic impact that ORR represents, and the fact that the issues ORR focuses on are bipartisan, all helps capture the attention of the decision makers in D.C. and in state capitols around the country.

“Marking the 60th anniversary, LWCF has made every state better,” says Lesley Kane Szynal, chair of the LWCF Coalition. “It protects beloved places and contributes to their outdoor recreation economies and quality of life. It has conserved national parks and forests, rivers, lakes, oceans, working forests, fish and wildlife refuges, and state and local parks. It’s critical to enhancing access to the outdoors, protecting waterways and much more.”

Created by Congress in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund was a bipartisan commitment to specifically safeguard natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. And perhaps it’s a model for other unified actions today.

Unlike so many financial complications created in Washington these days, funding for LWCF was and remains a simple idea: use revenues from the depletion of one natural resource — offshore oil and gas — to support the conservation of another precious resource — our land and water. Every year, $900 million in royalties paid by energy companies drilling for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf are put into this fund.

The fund also provides matching grants for state and local parks and recreation projects. Over the years, LWCF has also grown and evolved to include grants to protect working forests, city parks, wildlife habitat, waterways and critical drinking water supplies. Access is considered a cornerstone.

“On behalf of over 5 million Americans who work in the outdoor recreation economy — and the tens of millions who take advantage of LWCF-funded programs and areas — we look forward to many, many decades more of LWCF success stories,” says ORR president Jessica Wahl Turner.

ORR seeks to ensure:

• recognition of our sector’s contributions as the cornerstone of healthy, resilient and sustainable economies and communities

• act on the most pressing issues facing the future of outdoor recreation for the benefit of our economy, communities, health and the environment

• guarantee quality access and conservation for the sustainable future of the recreation industry

• foster infrastructure innovation and modernization to support a 21st century economy

To end on a positive note, the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 permanently established the LWCF’s annual funding at $900 million.