The Land and Water Conservation Fund is hugely popular. And it's about to expire.

Paul A. Smith | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

With a reauthorization deadline looming, a poll shows Wisconsin voters have extraordinary, bipartisan support for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

"Support for reauthorization of LWCF extends across party lines, across the state, and with all key demographic subgroups," according to the study conducted in June by the research team of Public Opinion Strategies and FM3 Research.

The poll, conducted by contacting 500 Wisconsin voters on landline or cell phone, showed 86% of the state's electorate support continued funding for the program.

In political terms, that's a landslide and a clear mandate.

Among political affiliations identified during the phone interviews, 91% of Democrats, 88% of independents and 79% of Republicans supported the program.

Along lines of race, 88% of voters of color and 87% of whites were in favor.

And 87% of urban, 90% of suburban, 89% of small town and 82% of rural residents back the fund.

The LWCF, established in 1965, uses a portion of revenue from companies involved in offshore oil and gas extraction to fund conservation, recreation and historical preservation projects in the U.S.

Wisconsin has received $218 million in LWCF funding over the past five decades, protecting places such as the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and North Country National Scenic Trail, the St. Croix National Scenic River and the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Although it doesn't rely on taxpayer funding and, as the 2018 Wisconsin poll shows, is very popular with the public, the fund has often been the subject of political gamesmanship in recent years.

In 2015, it was allowed to expire before then being renewed for three years. It will expire again Sept. 30 without action by Congress.

"There is virtually no other federal conservation program in America that has this level of bipartisan support,” said Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin.

Huston joined with other state conservation leaders last week in urging Wisconsin's elected representatives to Congress to take action to save the LWCF before Sept. 30.

A bill was introduced in March to fully fund and permanently reauthorize the LWCF. The legislation was authored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-North Carolina).

However, the House and Senate have yet to take action.

“(The poll shows) virtually everyone agrees that this is one of the best programs Congress has ever come up with and it should be continued,” said Mike Carlson, executive director of Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts.

Charity shoot: The 15th Annual Great Cancer Shootout will be held on July 28 at Wern Valley Sportsmens Club, S36 W29657 Wern Way, Town of Genesee. Proceeds benefit cancer research and cancer patient support services.

This year’s event will feature three sporting clays courses, cowboy fast draw shooting. food, auctions, live music and a fireworks show at dusk. The sporting clays courses will be open from 9 a.m. until the last squad out at 3 p.m. The drawing for raffle prizes and live auction start at 6:30 p.m.

For additional information, call (262) 968-2400.