Idaho Businesses Support LWCF Reauthorization

For more than 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been one of America’s most successful conservation programs. An especially important tool for the sporting community, it ensures access to land and water for hunting and fishing, and protects important habitat for many fish and game species. Over the past five decades in Idaho alone, LWCF has allotted $279 million in funding for projects across the state. It has less than four weeks of life left, set to expire on September 30th, unless lawmakers take a stand for conservation and reauthorize the program.

If you’d like a quick LWCF run-down, well-known hunter and conservationist Randy Newberg gives a great primer in this video.

We recently talked with three businesses that call Idaho home and rely on public access for those that seek their products: First Lite, Waterworks-Lamson and Tenkara Rod Co. From chasing mule deer deep in Idaho’s Frank Church Wilderness, to hooking rainbows on the South Fork of the Snake, each of these companies, as well as all of us, have something to lose if the Land and Water Conservation Fund is allowed to expire. And in a state where “over 1 million people hunt, fish and enjoy wildlife-watching each year, contributing $923 million to the state economy annually”, that’s quite the loss.

First Lite

Paul Peterson of First Lite is interviewed by Willy Cook with the Idaho Mountain Express regarding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. (Photo: B. Aceto)

First Lite’s Paul Peterson swung out of his truck, fly rod in hand. We were in Ketchum visiting sites that had received money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and had already found an LWCF plaque along the widely-popular bike path through town, and noted the work done with LWCF money at Atkinsons Park right in town. Directly behind Atkinsons Park was a sign for fishing access to the Big Wood River. And while not funded by LWCF, it’s hard to deny that its proximity to the park where LWCF has sustained recreation for so many years has had a positive impact on the community. When asked about LWCF from First Lite’s perspective, Peterson didn’t hesitate. “First Lite fully supports public access, and LWCF plays a large role in providing access for outdoor opportunities. The number one issue facing hunters and anglers today is access, and we support this program that promotes preserving access.” Peterson is an accomplished hunter and angler whose values align well with the company he works for, and his statement was simple and true. He smiled after his last words and walked down to the river, hooking a fish within a few casts, quietly reeling it in and placing it back in the water, bringing our trip in support of LWCF full circle.

Waterworks-Lamson

Waterworks-Lamson is a fly rod and reel manufacturing company that has offices in both Boise and Hailey, Idaho. Their employees are passionate about the work and go out of their way to be involved in the angling community, in more ways than just being on the water. Jen Lavigne, Sales Manager at Waterworks-Lamson, is one such person. An active member of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, Jen not only loves fly fishing but cares about the health of the ecosystem that fuels this passion. When speaking for Waterworks-Lamson about LWCF, she stated “The health of our business is closely tied to conservation, and it will always be that way because of the nature of what we sell – we sell fly fishing gear.” We chatted about popular Idaho waterways that have seen LWCF funding like tributaries of the Salmon River, the Henry’s Fork and the Teton River. She concluded that “healthy fish and access to public land are key policy issues for us to support because they are vital to the long term health of business and our industry.

Tenkara Rod Co.

Lindsay Flake of Tenkara Rod Co. casts on the South Fork of the Snake River at an access point that received money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. (Photo: B. Aceto)

Lindsay Flake braced herself against the current as she waded into the river. We were on the South Fork of the Snake and she was poised to cast into a promising, dark pool. On the banks sat her son, watching his mom intently. “Have you ever caught a fish?” I asked, and a smile broke out across his face as he nodded. Lindsay and her husband are co-owners of Tenkara Rod Co. Based out of Rexburg, they’re a well-known name in the fishing industry and their rods can be seen catching fish in all corners of the world. In Rexburg, where they call home, they have some of the world’s best trout rivers in their backyard, including the very river we were on that day. And thanks to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, access and scenic values along this river have been preserved for generations of anglers to come. As I sat and watched Lindsay fish, her son doing the same, it was an impossible fact to ignore.

So what can you, the reader, do? 
First: Call your senators. Call your members of congress. Tell them you support the permanent reauthorization and full funding of LWCF and that you’d like them to as well. A few seconds worth of phone time and you’ll have done immense good for a program that’s also done immense good. And second: sign the petition below that we’ll be sending to our senators and congressmen, asking for their support in the permanent reauthorization with full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Being an active sportsman or woman not only means time spent in the woods and mountains, but also using your voice for these places which have none.

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