The Biden Administration plans to allocate $2.8 billion for repairs and infrastructure improvements on federal lands, according to a statement.
Much of the funding authorized in the Great American Outdoors Act will be devoted to deferred maintenance and other improvements in national parks, wildlife refuges and recreation areas, said the joint statement from the departments of Interior and Agriculture.
The law also fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually, securing public access and improving access on public lands while protecting watersheds and wildlife.
The announcement was applauded by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, which had supported passage of the Great American Outdoors Act.
“We have the best public lands, waters and outdoor businesses in the world right here in the United States, but if Americans can’t access them with sound roads or if the campgrounds, marinas and trails are in disrepair or unsafe, then we are missing out on economic opportunity and undermining our American outdoor heritage,” ORR president Jessica Turner said in a separate statement. “The announcement of a $2.8 billion investment in public lands infrastructure and access is huge for the nation’s and local communities’ economies.”
