Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (GAOA LRF) projects are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories to address priority maintenance needs at national parks, national wildlife refuges, on other public lands, and at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools. 

GAOA LRF projects fund the repair and maintenance of a wide range of Department of the Interior (Interior) assets including campsites, trails, roads, bridges, parking lots, BIE-funded school facilities, water and wastewater systems, energy systems, communications infrastructure, and more. Project selection for GAOA LRF is based on four key criteria: maximizing the number of citizens served, improving financial health, protecting those we serve, and planning for the future by repairing and modernizing Interior assets. These criteria help to ensure that GAOA LRF projects support Interior’s mission while having the greatest impact possible. Without this historic investment, assets in our national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands could fall into disrepair and risk the safety of our visitors, employees, and volunteers, as well as our natural and cultural resources. This investment also helps prevent assets at BIE-funded schools from falling into disrepair and interrupting student learning and housing. 
The benefits of GAOA LRF projects are wide-ranging, from positively impacting visitors’ experiences, local communities, wildlife, and the environment to increasing the quality of education available to students at BIE-funded schools. For more information about project benefits, visit our GAOA LRF Program Impact webpage. 

Check out the Project Spotlights below to explore some GAOA LRF projects! 

Project Spotlights

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Replace, Repair, and Consolidate McGregor District Headquarters and Facilities at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

The GAOA LRF modernizes infrastructure to reduce annual operating costs, lessen future maintenance needs, update inefficient utility systems, and improve working conditions for employees. The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is one of the largest blocks of floodplain habitat in the continental U.S. and serves as a haven for fish, wildlife, plants, and migratory birds. Mudslide damage made the Refuge’s facilities unoccupiable, and forced staff to relocate to a temporary office farther away from the lands they manage. This project is building resilient office facilities and consolidating building infrastructure for the McGregor District at the Luster Heights, Iowa site. The new facility will improve working conditions for staff by reducing work disruption and improving their ability to execute day-to-day resource stewardship responsibilities. 

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Rehabilitate the Interior and Exterior of First Bank at Independence National Historical Park

National Park Service

The GAOA LRF preserves historic and cultural treasures that tell our nation’s story. The First Bank of the United States, part of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia originally operated between 1797-1811, after the federal government adopted Alexander Hamilton’s proposal to establish a national bank, laying the foundation of the U.S.’s financial systems. The bank is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence so it can reopen to the public for the first time since the 1970s. Project work will renovate the building’s interior and exterior by replacing leaking metal roofing, stabilizing, cleaning, and repairing marble and brick masonry, correcting moisture incursion problems, and updating the electrical and HVAC systems. 

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Repairs at Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area

Bureau of Land Management

The GAOA LRF funds crucial investments that repair aging infrastructure so visitors can continue to enjoy our public lands for generations to come. The Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area offers opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and enjoying wildlife in 800 acres of forest and meadows just outside of Washington, D.C. This project replaced deteriorated fencing, providing safe boundaries for the public and protecting natural resources. The project also replaced a deteriorating culvert and removed the former visitor center, which posed a significant safety hazard due to poor site conditions and structural deficiencies. These repairs will improve resource protection and provide safer experiences for visitors and employees.

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Education Demolition Project in the Navajo Region

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF invests in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools for current and future generations. This project is demolishing 173,556 feet of excess buildings, which are currently uninhabitable and unsafe, at six schools in the Navajo region, in Arizona and New Mexico: Pinon Community School, Nenahnezad Boarding School, Red Rock Day School, Greyhills Academy High School, Tonalea (Red Lake) Day School, and Atsá Biyáázh Community School. Removing these buildings will improve safety for students, teachers, and staff.

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Maintenance Action Team at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) are nimble and provide hands-on training in routine maintenance and repair work. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, located in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach, was established in 1938 to protect and provide habitat for migrating waterfowl. The Refuge spans diverse habitats home to hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and fish. An exterior deck on one of the offices at the Refuge had severe rot and structural concerns that needed to be addressed. A MAT removed the damaged components of the deck and replaced them with modern materials, increasing the lifecycle of the structure to support future use for Refuge staff and visitors.

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Maintenance Action Team at Jewel Cave National Monument

National Park Service

GAOA LRF-funded Maintenance Action Teams (MATs) at the National Park Service provide on-the-ground training in a variety of trades, including historic restoration and preservation work, to a new generation of tradespeople and public land stewards. A GAOA LRF-funded MAT composed of skilled craftspeople from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center recently completed work at Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota. Built in the 1930s, the site’s Historic Cabin served as the Park’s headquarters and the first stop as visitors arrived to tour the Cave. The MAT completed critical preservation work on the Cabin’s roof and gutter system, including installing new cedar shakes and underlayment, replacing ponderosa pine ridge cap logs, and inspecting and maintaining copper gutters. Thanks to this MAT work, the nearly 100-year-old cabin can continue to tell the stories of Jewel Cave’s early history.

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300-Jack Wilson Headquarters Repairs & Uninterruptible Power Supply Replacement at National Interagency Fire Center

Bureau of Land Management

The GAOA LRF is keeping our staff and volunteers safe by funding repairs to assets that are essential to safe operating conditions for law enforcement, wildland firefighters, and field staff. The Jack Wilson building, located at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) campus in Idaho, serves as the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) and is essential to the operation of NIFC fire management programs. The building required lighting and electrical work as well as numerous repairs to operational systems, the HVAC system, deteriorated floor and ceiling tiles, torn wall coverings, and leaking windows. The building repairs resulted in increased reliability of critical data center systems serving the NICC, reductions in energy use, and an improved work environment for building occupants.

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Many Farms High School in the Navajo Region

Bureau of Indian Education

The GAOA LRF supports the demolition and replacement of Bureau of Indian Education-funded school campuses to modernize facilities for the thousands of students and staff in Tribal communities. Many Farms High School, located in the heart of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, serves students from grades nine through 12. This project is consolidating the education programs previously housed in multiple buildings on the campus into a single, energy-efficient facility to create a safe and positive environment conducive to learning. The project will also improve security systems, install new perimeter fencing, expand parking, and improve accessibility.