# Land and Water Conservation Fund Water Amendments Act of 2023

This bill makes changes to how the Land and Water Conservation Fund operates, specifically focusing on water-related projects and conservation efforts. The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a longstanding federal program that uses money from oil and gas leases on public lands to pay for buying and protecting natural areas, creating parks, and improving outdoor recreation spaces across the country.

The main change this bill makes is expanding what kinds of water projects can receive funding from this program. It allows more money to go toward protecting and restoring water resources, wetlands, and aquatic habitats. This means projects like restoring rivers, protecting drinking water sources, improving fish habitats, and conserving wetlands would have better access to federal funding. The bill essentially says that water conservation and protection should be treated as equally important as land conservation when deciding how to spend this money.

Who this affects depends on where you live and what you care about. If you live near rivers, wetlands, or coastal areas, this could mean more restoration and protection projects in your region. Outdoor enthusiasts, fishermen, and hunters could benefit from improved habitats. Communities that rely on clean water sources might see investments in protecting those sources. States and local governments that manage public lands and water resources would have more funding options available for their conservation projects. The bill doesn't create new taxes or direct costs to taxpayers—it just redirects existing conservation funding to include more water-focused work alongside traditional land conservation efforts.

Land and Water Conservation Fund Water Amendments Act of 2023

Rubio, Marco

Land and Water Conservation Fund Water Amendments Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for water quality improvement projects from amounts made available under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Interior shall only provide such financial assistance to projects that seek to improve water quality by improving, restoring, or developing natural hydrological systems, such as wetlands or living shorelines. To be eligible for assistance, a state's comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan shall identify <ul> <li>any body of water within the state for which a water quality control plan has been developed pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and</li> <li>any proposed water quality project to be conducted with respect to such body of water.</li> </ul>