Congress on Wednesday avoided a government shutdown by passing a bill that keeps the government running through mid-December, but leaves unresolved a divide over federal spending that threatens to resurface this winter with more perilous economic consequences.
The $1.1 trillion Omnibus Spending Bill includes a reauthorization of the Land and Conservation Wildlife Fund, which had expired, and several increases in funding for agencies whose efforts are backed by the outdoor industry. Among them, the Bureau of Land Management gets a $117 million increase in its funding, Fish & Wildlife Services will get a $69 million increase, the Forest Service will get a $35 million increase and the National Park Service will receive a $237 million increase. OIA said the LWCF is the biggest positive, because it was extended for three years.
