Senate Advances Major Conservation Bill in Procedural Vote

The Senate voted 79-18 on Wednesday to move forward on the Great American Outdoors Act, inching closer to passing what many consider to be the most significant conservation legislation in a generation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed for cloture on the bill after Wednesday’s vote. A vote on final passage is expected early next week.

The bill would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at its $900 million annual, authorized level. LWCF funds federal, state, and local conservation projects and land acquisition across the country.

The legislation also would create a five-year, $9.5 billion trust fund ...