Great American Outdoors Act Signed Into Law

In a historic move, President Donald Trump has signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law today, August 4, 2020. The bill brings critical funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to the tune of $900 million annually, reestablishing the original commitment from 1963. The GAOA does not stop there, of course. Further, it establishes the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Fund, which will be funded with up to $1.9 billion per year, over five years. According to Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, this will be, "utilized to address the United States’ significant maintenance backlog at national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands and even Indian schools."

The breakdown of the funding will be as follows: 40 percent of the money will go to state and local governments for land conservation and recreational facilities. The remaining 60 percent will stay with the federal government to expand land acquisitions and recreational facilities. 

For more information on Secretary Bernhardt's on-the-record address on the subject, check out coverage over at KHQ.com.