Tester: LWCF grant for Montana 'an investment' in outdoor heritage

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement in response to news that Montana will receive assistance from the U.S. Forest Service’s Land and Water Conservation Fund to increase public access and create jobs in Montana's outdoor industries:

“This is a powerful investment in Montana's outdoor heritage because it strengthens our access to public land and water in one of Montana's best places to hunt and fish.  This grant will create jobs, it will boost Lincoln County’s economy, and improve the health of thousands of acres of forest land.  I'm proud to have gone to bat for Montana's sportsmen and women.”

The Land and Water Conservation Fund’s $6.5 million grant will ensure that 28,000 acres of forest land in Lincoln County will be permanently available to Montana’s hunters and anglers.

In addition to supporting public access, the grant also allows for the continued sustainable harvest of local timber, supporting local jobs.  Outdoor recreation brings in $2.5 billion per year to Montana’s economy.

Tester, chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, has been a tireless advocate for the Fund, which provides assistance for public land and water access throughout the country.  The program has also been the top priority of Tester's Sportsmen’s Advisory Panel.

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