Tester Secures $90,000 for Choteau Basketball, Tennis Court Renovation

LWCF funding direct result from Tester’s Great American Outdoors Act

As a direct result from his bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, U.S. Senator Jon Tester secured $90,000 in Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) resources for the city of Choteau to renovate its basketball/ tennis court and improve the city pool.

“My bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act continues to deliver for communities in every corner of Montana,” said Tester. “Because of the hard work of people across the state, we were able to get this bill signed into law, and now folks in Choteau will be able to enjoy upgraded basketball, tennis, and swimming facilities. Fully funding the LWCF was the right move, and it will keep growing our state’s $7.1 billion dollar outdoor economy for generations to come.”

Funding for the project comes from the National Park Service through an LWCF grant. In 2020, Tester pushed his landmark Great American Outdoors Act through Congress and into law, which secured full, mandatory funding for the LWCF at $900 million a year, and $9.5 billion to address maintenance backlogs on public lands across the United States – including National Parks. Montana has seen hundreds of millions of dollars supporting LWCF projects to protect public access and wildlife habitats.

Established in 1964, the LWCF uses revenues from oil and gas leasing to fund conservation and recreation priorities across the nation. Since its creation, the LWCF has invested millions into Montana’s $7.1 billion outdoor recreation economy. Tester first sponsored a bill to fully fund the LWCF in 2009, and until recently was the only member of the Montana delegation to support full, mandatory funding for LWCF.