President Trump Signs the Great American Outdoors Act to Preserve National Parks
President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act which provides up to $1.9 billion per year for five years that will go toward maintenance projects identified by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Land Management. This legislation, along with the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, is said to “benefit current and future generations of Americans.”
In a release Tuesday, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Mary B. Neumayr said that more than 5,500 miles of paved roads, 17,000 miles of trails and 24,000 buildings in our national parks are in need of maintenance improvements.
“These infrastructure updates will preserve our most important national treasures and give more American families opportunities to explore the great outdoors, Neumayr said in the release. “This legislation signed today is not just about outdoor recreation. In signing the Great American Outdoors Act, President Trump is protecting and enhancing the economies of numerous gateway communities that surround our national parks and wildlife reserves. By bringing more visitors to our parks, the Great American Outdoors Act will stimulate local businesses across the country.”
Additionally, the Great American Outdoors Act will provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF).
“The LWCF supports recreational access, protection, and preservation of our Nation’s most valuable natural and cultural resources. Supporting over 98 percent of counties across the country, the LWCF grants enable State and local governments to develop and improve parks in their communities, as well as permanently conserve outdoor recreation areas for public use and enjoyment,” Neumayr said.
As policymakers in Washington continue to look for ways toward an economic recovery, infrastructure is once again addressed and at the top of their lists of to-do’s in the new world we now live.
