LWCF Created a Special Place for Three Generations of my Family

Cody Kamrowski, an avid hunter and angler, serves on the board of the National Wildlife Federation and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.

Public lands are so incredibly important to me because no matter where I go or what I do, there are always public lands there to support me and my journey. Wisconsin has a strong network of public lands, parks and facilities for almost everyone to access within minutes of their homes.

Each year, my family takes a camping trip to Northern WI and we fish a section of the Chippewa River. My parents have been using a specific park, boat ramp and trail when they started dating 30+ years ago. This simple public space has been a symbol of family camping, love and laughter. When I think of some of the happiest memories with my family, that boat ramp and park are always in the background. Within the park, there is this little yellow and brown sign with the words “Funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund”. The lasting impact of LWCF has been able to provide a truly special place for a family at which three generations have now experienced and enjoyed.

To me, public lands are a catalyst for a human recharge. Public lands allow me to exhale all of the negativity and frustrating things in life. The natural world devours that negativity and makes it disappear, all the while I’m recharging and inhaling the positive air the natural world has provided me, it’s a physical, emotional and spiritual cleanse that can only be achieved in these special places.

Public lands are part of our American identity, we have these special places that are larger than life itself. When looking at these special places, we have to wear a lens looking at the many generations to come. We need to implement policy so we are able to hand future generations a gift, not a burden. The American Public: you are the expert when it comes to your personal experiences in these special places, nobody can say you are incorrect or not creditable. Each experience is your own and you can speak to policy makers and your peers as an expert in your experiences within these special places.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

So many of our country’s parks and public lands written about in these love notes would not exist but for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Congress is poised to permanently fund it as part of the Great American Outdoors Act. Follow the movement along at #FundLWCF. Learn more here. Better yet, take action here.

Would you like to write about public lands that you cherish? Please email Mary Jo Brooks at brooksm@nwf.org for guidelines.