Each year, participating Department of the Interior (DOI, Interior Department) bureaus select projects with the potential to meet the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) goals of the Department: 1) Maximize Citizens Served, 2) Improve Financial Health, 3) Protect Those We Serve, and 4) Plan for the Future by repairing and modernizing DOI assets. Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) projects, including Maintenance Action Team (MAT) activities, are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories to address priority maintenance needs at national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.
Types of Projects
Recreational Assets
Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: Ray Paterra
Recreational Assets include monuments, memorials, campgrounds, parks, historic sites, refuges, comfort stations, visitor centers, and other structures used for recreational purposes.
An example of a Recreational Asset is the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge Project located in Arkansas. This project will rehabilitate boat ramps, campgrounds, and internal refuge roadways to address deferred maintenance needs and improve the overall visitor experience.
Mission Support and Administration Assets
Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Photo Credit: NPS/B. Mills
Mission Support and Administration Assets include storage and warehouse facilities, offices, laboratories, agricultural assets, and other assets critical to supporting bureau missions.
An example of a Mission Support and Administration Asset is Great Basin National Park located in Nevada. This project will replace the deteriorating 1960’s-era water system, which is the park’s only source of potable water to park facilities and the only source of water for fire protection.
Housing Assets
Laurel Historic Dormitory, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming
Housing assets include housing and family housing structures.
An example of a Housing Asset is the Laurel Historic Dormitory in Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming. This project will convert the historic dormitory into employee housing while addressing structural, mechanical, and health safety issues, and ensuring the facility is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible.
Transportation Assets
Campbell Tract Skiers. Photo Credit: Bob Wick
Transportation Assets include roads, bridges, dedicated parking structures, and other critical transportation infrastructure.
An example of a Transportation Asset is the Campbell Tract Recreation Access located in the Anchorage District of Alaska. This project will restore public access and safer vehicle-pedestrian interactions for over 100,000 annual visitors that enjoy the outdoor education and public recreation on the Campbell Tract.
Schools and Associated Assets
Schools and Associated Assets include schools, dormitories, and staff housing.
An example of a School and Associated Asset is the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School, a K-12 school located in Eagle Butte, South Dakota serving 937 students. The project will use energy-efficient construction and water conservation guidelines to help support the construction of new academic facilities.
Non-Transportation Infrastructure Assets
Jefferson Monument and Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: NPS
Non-Transportation Infrastructure Assets include utility systems, irrigation and flood control assets, communication systems, and other industrial assets.
An example of a Non-Transportation Infrastructure Asset is the National Mall and Memorial Parks located in Washington, D.C. This proposed project will rehabilitate the most critical portions of the seawalls and shoreline landscape at the National Mall and Memorial Parks, salvaging the historic stone masonry where possible.
Other Assets
National Interagency Fire Center Plane. Photo Credit: Michael Johnson
Other Assets includes asset types not otherwise specified, including housing structures and airfields.
An example of an Other Asset is the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. This project will replace the most deteriorated portions of the airfield ramp tarmac in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Project Spotlights
Maintenance Action Team at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,200-acre island in Maryland that provides diverse habitats for approximately 240 species, including mammals and wintering waterfowl. The Tundra Swan and Tubby Cove boardwalks, which traverse the open waters and marshes of the northern Chesapeake Bay, are popular spots for wildlife observation, fishing, crabbing, and other wildlife-dependent activities. However, the boardwalks have significantly deteriorated and are no longer suitable for pedestrian access. A GAOA-funded Maintenance Action Team will replace the major components of the boardwalks to improve safety and accessibility at the popular recreation site. The repairs will allow visitors to safely hike along the boardwalks, use the accessible viewing blinds to watch tundra swans and other wildlife, and enjoy activities such as fishing and crabbing.
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School
Bureau of Indian Education
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School is located in Eagle Butte, SD, and serves students in grades K-12. The current mechanical and electrical systems have reached the end of their lifespan, and existing facilities create unsafe and unhealthy conditions leaving the BIE unable to meet modern education requirements for students and staff. GAOA LRF funding will help support the replacement of the current campus with new academic facilities designed using Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED). New construction will have twice the life expectancy and lower maintenance and energy costs than a renovated building. The new construction will also minimize renovation disruptions and create Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant spaces to serve all students. The new campus will support student performance with modernized facilities that are conducive to learning and environmentally-friendly and that reduce ongoing operation and maintenance costs. Once the new campus is complete, Indian Affairs will divest the former campus.
Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway
Bureau of Land Management
The Wild Rivers Backcountry Byway in Farmington District, New Mexico, provides the only vehicle access to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. The byway leads to the stunning scenery of the Rio Grande Gorge, where visitors can camp, fish, hike, mountain bike, and view birds and wildlife. GAOA has funded the repair of the deteriorating pavement, replacement culverts, and repaving the byway within the monument area. These repairs will improve safety, increase access, and extend the life of the road. The project will also establish a dedicated bike lane to improve safety for cyclists. These infrastructure repairs will enable visitors, whether driving or biking, to enjoy a smooth, scenic journey taking in the beauty of the rugged, volcanic terrain cut by steep canyons.
Maintenance Action Team at Fort Smith National Historic Site
National Park Service
The Fort Smith National Historic Site, located in Arkansas and Oklahoma, is a military fort that was first established in 1817 on the edge of the American frontier. The fort now commemorates the devastating history of the Trail of Tears, where five tribes were forcibly removed from their homelands. GAOA has funded a project to preserve the 1830s-era Commissary, one of the oldest buildings at Fort Smith that has served many uses since its construction. Maintenance Action Teams consisting of specialized tradespeople experienced in historical preservation will complete the preservation work, estimated to be completed in spring 2023. Work includes painting, repairing the building’s plaster, and applying preservative epoxy on wooden surfaces throughout the building. By preserving this building, generations of visitors to come will be able to better experience the historic fort and understand the depth of its place in American and Native American history.
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in California is a major wintering ground and stopover for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, and other waterbirds. It is also home to protected species, including the now thriving tule elk. This project will rehabilitate the refuge’s mission-critical water management and delivery system, including canal cleanout, bank improvements, and water control structure replacements. This critical water resource management project provides significant long-term benefits to future water resource management, as this part of California has frequent drought and unpredictable water access. The infrastructure repair also provides habitat for wildlife and improves recreational activities for refuge visitors, including high-use waterfowl hunting and wildlife viewing areas.
Shonto Preparatory School
Bureau of Indian Education
Shonto Preparatory School is a Navajo Nation school in Arizona which serves nearly 350 students in grades K – 8. This project will replace the school campus buildings which currently consist of seven main buildings and several smaller support structures. The new academic facilities will maintain the highest possible level of water and energy conservation designed using Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver guidelines. The project, one of two GAOA projects at the Shonto School, will also address major site infrastructure, such as replacing the 60-year-old water distribution and sewer systems.
Grand Junction Air Center
Bureau of Land Management
The Grand Junction Air Center is a multipurpose wildland fire management and operation center in Grand Junction, CO, that facilitates critical wildland fire support across Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The national air center provides tactical aircraft resources to local and regional partners and is the only facility in the region that can support large air tankers, which are critical for airborne firefighting support. This project will lay groundwork and infrastructure to enable the support of larger air tankers in the future, thus enhancing the region’s firefighting capabilities as wildfires become larger and more frequent. The project will also eliminate safety hazards to fire crews by replacing multiple structurally deficient buildings with a single, cost-effective building to consolidate units, increase efficiency, and reduce operating costs. Enhancing the center’s firefighting capabilities will also ensure that neighboring communities and local ecosystems are protected.
Acadia National Park Schoodic District
National Park Service
This project, located in the beautiful Schoodic District of Acadia National Park in Maine, will rehabilitate the potable water and wastewater systems. While over 250,000 visitors use these facilities each year, the 1970s-era water systems are in dire need of repairs. Improved systems will reduce the risk of environmental contamination, while ensuring that water is consistently available for fire protection and drinking. The project will also work to upgrade existing systems by replacing wastewater collection lines, reconstructing wells, and implementing systems to reduce the potential for freezing.
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