Congress should permanently invest in Land and Water Conservation Fund

Photo: Katharine Egli

Like so many American children, I looked forward to Christmas all year. I loved hearing my mother’s beautiful voice singing “O Holy Night” during Christmas Eve service. I treasured the bustle of warmth and love that filled our home as friends and family gathered to celebrate together. That countdown to Christmas morning started with finding the perfect Christmas tree.

My father preferred white pines, “very full” with “character,” he would remind us each year. We would load up in our family station wagon and search for the perfect, slightly asymmetric and unreasonably large pine. Our trees dominated the family room, my mother’s mild annoyance with this quickly overcome by Christmas cheer. Decorated with popcorn and candy canes, the smell of the evergreen mingling with the sweet aromas of Christmas cookies and candies served as the most perfect potpourri.

This holiday season I urge Congress to honor that gift and protect it for the children of our great state and of our nation. Permanently fund the LWCF for this holiday season and all the ones to come.

Decades later, I still understand the hunt for just the right tree, which is why I was delighted to hear that this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree was coming from Carson National Forest right here in New Mexico. For the third time since the first tree was planted on the Capitol lawn in 1964, our state has been selected […]

Full article: Congress should permanently invest in Land and Water Conservation Fund