Three Rs Pitch Environmentalism and Taxes

Four “conservation activists” offered a defense of a federal program called the “Land and Water Conservation Fund” in the Albuquerque Journal today. That’s good, I suppose. Everyone can make their pitch.
What’s bad is their claim that the fund “is not paid for with your tax dollars.” The money comes from royalties on off-shore drilling. That, to me, means a tax. Further, to the extent that the drilling tax, er, royalty, raises the cost of oil, that tax is imposed on everyone.
Three of these activists claim membership in a group called Republicans for Environmental Protection. I have always thought this group stood for more regulation, higher taxes and the resulting lower economic activity.
Pretty much everyone is for environmental protection. The overall debate is long since done. The question is what the protection means in a given situation.