Time is running out for popular parks program

You may not have heard of a small, but vital federal program called the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but if you enjoy clean water, fresh air, healthy lands, vibrant communities and a robust economy, you've benefited from it. Unless Congress acts soon, it may well disappear, leaving you, me and every American with a lost opportunity to further invest in the very things that we cherish most.

Since 1965, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has used a small percentage of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling to invest in lands, water, recreation and working landscapes. LWCF uses no taxpayer dollars. None.

Its investments have created or enhanced local and state parks, working farms and forests, wildlife refuges, national forests, historic battlefields, cultural sites and access for hunting and fishing. Illinois has received approximately $213.5 million in LWCF funding over the past five decades, protecting places such as the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Shawnee National Forest and Cypress Creek and Emiquon National Wildlife Refuges.

When Congress passed the LWCF 50 years ago, lawmakers did so knowing that outdoor recreation is fundamental to our well-being and the health of our communities. And we now have the evidence that healthy natural places can help safeguard our communities: wetlands improve water quality and help prevent flooding, healthy forests and tree canopies clean our air, and coastlines protect us from severe storms.

If that's not enough, the Outdoor Industry Association has found that active outdoor recreation generates $9.5 billion in consumer spending in Illinois, supports 204,000 jobs generating $6.7 billion in wages and salaries, and produces nearly $1.6 billion annually in state and local tax revenue. The U.S. Census reports that each year 3.6 million people hunt, fish, or enjoy wildlife watching in Illinois, contributing $2.4 billion in wildlife recreation spending to the state economy.

Investing in nature is not just a good thing to do for plants and wildlife, it's good for our economy.

On September 30, LWCF was allowed to expire. There is still time to save it, but not much. If Congress does not renew this program before they leave for the holidays, it will be even harder to make these investments in our green spaces, our parks and trails, and the natural areas that make ourselves and our communities whole and healthy.

And, if the program is renewed, we hope Congress will also ensure that it receives its full funding each year. Although Congress can direct up to $900 million per year for LWCF, most of those funds actually usually end up going elsewhere. For example, in 2014, LWCF received $306 million - barely one-third of its full potential. With America losing 1 million acres of working farms, forests and ranches each year, it is critical that LWCF receive its full funding for future generations.

As the end of the year draws closer, your congressional representatives need to hear from you. Many of Illinois' federal lawmakers have been supportive of renewing LWCF, including both our senators, and it has historically had strong bipartisan support.

But Sens. Mark Kirk, Richard Durbin and others in Congress need to hear today how much their constituents value the LWCF for all it does to help our economy, safeguard our communities and improve our way of life.

The clock is ticking. I hope my fellow Illinois residents will speak up, and that our representatives in Congress will help ensure quick action to renew and fully fund LWCF.

The world we depend on depends on us.

Michelle Carr is the state director of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, which works to protect ecologically important lands and waters.