The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) will reach its three-year signing anniversary Aug. 4. The Interior Department will recognize the anniversary by waiving all entrance fees to National Parks Services (NPS) facilities that day.
Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland said GAOA is providing funding to back critical investments in NPS lands.
“As our public lands continue to meet increased visitation,” Haaland said, “GAOA complements President (Joe) Biden’s Investing in America agenda to strengthen our infrastructure and prepare it to meet future needs.”
GAOA’s Legacy Restoration Fund provides NPS with up to $1.3 billion per year, through 2025 when its authority expires. The funding is used to address extensive maintenance and repair needs in national parks and improve visitor opportunities.
NPS Director Chuck Sams said: “The Great American Outdoors Act is the largest targeted investment in national parks ever. It provides an extraordinary opportunity to make long-needed repairs and improvements that will benefit parks and park visitors for generations to come.”
In its first three years, NPS said the Legacy Restoration Fund has been used in national parks in every state, supplying $4 billion for more than 100 large-scale infrastructure projects and 300 smaller historic preservation activities throughout the country.
GAOA also guarantees permanent funding of up to $900 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), administered by the National Park Service. The funding assists national parks in acquiring lands and provides states with money to invest in local conservation and recreation opportunities.
