Interior Department changes priorities, requirements for Land and Water Conservation Fund

Interior Department changes priorities, requirements for Land and Water Conservation Fund

The U.S. Department of the Interior is shifting priorities within a federal conservation and land access program in a way that some conservation groups say is antithetical to its purpose of preserving public lands.  Interior Secretary Doug Burgrum issued a secretarial order on Sept. 4 that adds guardrails for how the Land and Water Conservation Fund is implemented within the department. Specifically, the order places a priority on land acquisiti…