April 21, 2020

Durbin Discusses Enviromental Protection And Climate Change With The Nature Conservancy

SPRINGFIELD – Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day tomorrow, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined the members of The Nature Conservancy to discuss conservation, environmental protection, and  climate change. Durbin spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the use of outdoor recreation spaces in Illinois, the importance of addressing the backlog in National Park maintenance and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and efforts to combat the effects of climate change.

“The Nature Conservancy has always found creative ways to make positive change in our world by protecting the environment, and I thank them for all the work they do to improve our quality of life.  As COVID-19 reminds us about our responsibilities to one another, my hope is that we continue to improve air and water quality, protect our National Parks, and find innovative ways to conserve land and water.  We owe it to our kids and grandkids to leave them a better Earth and it will take determination to get that done,” Durbin said. 

Durbin is a co-sponsor of the Great American Outdoors Act, a bill that would address the National Parks maintenance backlog and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million a year. 

-30-