The Interior Department is asking Congress to use Land and Water Conservation Fund money for deferred maintenance on public lands, expanding the fund for a purpose that wasn’t among those listed when lawmakers strengthened the fund in a 2020 law signed by President Donald Trump.
The fiscal 2026 detailed budget request released Monday asks Congress for $387 million from the fund for deferred maintenance programs for the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The request also asks for $468 million for state and local grants and $45 million for federal land acquisition.
The 2020 law included a provision permanently funding the LWCF at $900 million annually. More than 80 House Republicans and more than 25 Senate Republicans joined Democrats to pass that law with big majorities.
