Land and Water Conservation Act (1965)

The land and water conservation act of 1965, which was subsequently amended, was U.S. legislation designed to regulate access to and acquisition of land for the use of American citizens and the betterment of their health. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was concern that leaving the provision of public spaces and recreation opportunities to the private sector would lead to inadequate facilities and the enclosure of too much land for private use.

By 2006 the Land and Water Conservation Act had resulted in the funding of some 40,000 projects.

As the cold war intensified, the U.S. government also wanted to keep sufficient numbers of young Americans fit enough to fight in the army if required. As a consequence, a number of government agencies were ...