Baseball has brought Americans together since its inception but one important source of funding for our beloved local game fields, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), is in danger.
Recently Herald photographer Kevin Clark published a photo gallery on HeraldNet covering the Everett AquaSox Bark in the Park 2 event (“Gallery: It’s a dog party! At Funko Field,” July 23). This adorable night invited owners to bring their dogs to the game in a beautiful union of America’s favorite past time and man’s best friend. This made for a great night on all fronts, for pups and humans a like. It is important for communities to have public outdoor spaces for events like this, and the LWCF is designed to enable just that.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund helps to fund conservation and recreation projects on a local, state, and national scale. In Washington state funding has gone to cherished parks including Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park, local baseball fields and community parks like Langus Riverfront park.
Each year $900 million is designated for this program but Congress has only fully funded it twice in its 50-plus years of existence, diverting $22 billion away from protecting our beautiful natural places.
Over the years Snohomish county has received more than $49 million in funding for outdoor community spaces. We all need work together to protect the LWCF and save our parks and public lands. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to support permanent and full funding for the LWCF. Without the proper funding the LWCF cannot support communities and protect the parks and public spaces we all know and love.
Sophia Hull
Chatham, N.J.
Recently of Washington state
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