President Trump signed the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act yesterday, a move that was widely applauded by the boating and sportfishing industries.
The bill is the single largest investment in America’s public lands and waters in decades, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which has advocated for the bill alongside the outdoor recreation and sportfishing industries.
American Sportfishing Association president Glenn Hughes attended a ceremony at the U.S. Department of the Interior headquarters, hosted by Secretary David Bernhardt, to celebrate the bill’s enactment.
The ceremony also established Aug. 5 as Great American Outdoors Day, when all Department of Interior fees will be waived.
“The sportfishing industry sincerely thanks President Trump and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt for championing this critically important effort for conservation and outdoor recreation,” said Hughes in a statement.
The bill addresses two long-standing priorities of the outdoor recreation community, according to NMMA. It fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program for conserving and maximizing outdoor recreation access.
It also creates the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which will address infrastructure priorities by providing $9.5 billion over five years to the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.
