Great American Outdoors Act News

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President Biden’s Budget Invests $2.8 Billion to Support Economies, Outdoor Recreation and Access to Public Lands
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
5/12/2023
 Today, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture announced their proposed Fiscal Year 2022 allocations of $2.8 billion in projects, grants and programs authorized in the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to support economies, outdoor recreation, and access to public lands. The investments are consistent with and help advance the America the Beautiful initiative, the decade-long, voluntary national conservation effort that the Biden-Harris administration recently launched. National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) Interior and USDA Forest Service deferred maintenance projects for Fiscal Year 2022 are projected to support over 20,000 jobs and generate nearly $2.2 billion in local communities. The investments will advance the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to create good-paying, union jobs and build back better by addressing critical deferred maintenance needs in America’s national parks, national wildlife refuges, recreation areas, national forests, grasslands and Bureau of Indian Education schools. The 484 LRF deferred maintenance projects planned by USDA Forest Service and 63 projects planned by Interior will improve recreation facilities, water and utility infrastructure, schools and other historic structures. Other projects aim to increase visitor access by restoring and repairing roads, trails, bridges and parking areas. The investments included in the budget request for the LRF will enable Interior to address more than $1.2 billion of the deferred maintenance backlog across the nation and supports Interior’s overall portfolio of infrastructure investment. When combined with the previous year, Fiscal Year 2022 LRF funding will enable the two agencies to pursue deferred maintenance projects in all 50 states and multiple U.S. territories.
Deputy Secretary Beaudreau and Partners Highlight Great American Outdoors Act Success Story (www.nps.gov)
Seven people, one in park ranger uniform and six in office wear, break ground with shovels in forest
5/1/2023
Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau visited Acadia National Park today where he joined federal and local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new year-round maintenance facility at park headquarters in Bar Harbor, Maine, made possible with a new $32.6 million investment from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Deputy Secretary Beaudreau, Senator Angus King, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and other community leaders celebrated the new building that will allow for more efficient park maintenance operations and improve universal access. “This moment is nearly 20 years in the making – and it’s hard to believe it’s finally here,” said Acadia National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “We are all eager to see this facility come to life over the next two years. It will allow us to be better stewards of Acadia’s diverse built environment: ranging from our historic carriage roads to our visitor centers, and everything in between.”
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to begin $17.7 million infrastructure improvement project (www.nps.gov)
View from the water of a large red and white building with red metal gazebo at the front.
5/1/2023
The National Park Service awarded an approximately $17.7 million construction contract to rehabilitate the Ellis Island Main Immigration Building. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the project will rehabilitate exterior building components, including the masonry facade and clerestory windows. This project will preserve the historic structure and enhance the visitor experience throughout the building. “The Main Immigration Building plays a central role in the immigration story of millions of American families,” said John Piltzecker, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island superintendent. “The preservation work funded by the Great America Outdoors Act will enable millions of visitors each year to continue to experience the grandeur of this building’s architecture, trace their family immigration history, and walk in the footsteps of the 12 million immigrants that were processed here.”
In Oregon, Secretary Haaland Highlights Investments in Wildland Fire and Outdoor Recreation Economies
Department of the Interior bison seal set against green mountainous background.
4/20/2023
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland was in Oregon this weekend to highlight Biden-Harris administration investments to support wildland fire preparedness, water management and outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. As part of her efforts to highlight GAOA investments across the nation, Secretary Haaland visited Crater Lake National Park, which is receiving $45 million from GAOA’s Legacy Restoration Fund to rehabilitate sections of the East Rim Drive. Overall, funding for Oregon from the Legacy Restoration Fund is estimated to address $130 million in deferred maintenance across the state’s public lands. President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget proposal includes an additional $4 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, permanently funded through GAOA, for two projects in Oregon – the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Willamette Valley Conservation Area.
Harry S Truman National Historic Site - Maintenance Action Team
Great American Outdoors Act, Photo Gallery
Man painting the side of a white house with green trim, next to small orange ladder
4/17/2023
Great American Outdoors Act funds $27 million in repairs at Minute Man National Historical Park (www.nps.gov)
Two park rangers in historic colonial American dress smile outside a historic house
4/10/2023
Minute Man National Historical Park received approximately $27.4 million in project funds from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to address deferred maintenance and repair needs for the park’s buildings, structures, landscape, trails, signage, and monuments in order to improve the visitor experience. The first project phase focuses on rehabilitating several historic buildings, including the Jacob Whittemore House, the Elisha Jones House, Carty Barn, and the Captain William Smith House. The next phase will rehabilitate a walking trail near Battle Road Trail and Groton Road.
Building Back a Better Wetland: MAT Teams Use the Best Science to Restore Dusky Marsh (www.fws.gov)
Two MAT workers stand next to a large pipe next to dirt walls
4/7/2023
Thanks to the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now had access to funding to invest in habitat improvement projects which would also expand recreational access for the American public. With the newly available funds, the Service hired Maintenance Action Teams (MAT) to travel to refuges and tackle challenging habitat restoration and deferred maintenance projects like the Dusky Marsh restoration.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park Debuts Exhibits Highlighting Texas White House Rehabilitation (www.nps.gov)
Wood paneled office with wood desk and a green leather couch and desk chair
3/30/2023
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park announces the opening of two new temporary exhibits, The Texas Oval Office and The Cabinet Oak Project. In preparation for the Texas White House Rehabilitation Project, funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), park museum staff carefully packed and stored the Texas White House furnishings. During the restoration, select objects will be on display in Johnson City, re-creating President Johnson’s home office. President Johnson’s desk is the highlight, complete with work papers and his favorite piece of technology—a rotary dial telephone. It is said that Johnson spent eighteen hours each day making phone calls; you’ll even be able to eavesdrop on a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as you visit. Head of state gifts to the President round out the exhibit just as they adorned the walls of the President’s office.
Everglades National Park seeks public input on plan to improve Flamingo Marina (www.nps.gov)
Deteriorating edge of seawall next to opaque light green water and a pink building in the background
3/29/2023
The National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (USACE) are developing a multimillion-dollar project to replace failing seawall bulkheads, boat ramps, walkways, and aging amenities at the Flamingo Marina in Everglades National Park. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), this project aims to create an optimal visitor experience and improve safety while minimizing potential impacts on natural and cultural resources. The NPS and USACE are inviting public comment on this project through April 27. Infrastructure funding from GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive deferred maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, GAOA's Legacy Restoration Fund provides up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to the NPS to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.
Olympic National Park begins approximately $11 million rehabilitation of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge
Great American Outdoors Act, Press Release
Winding road on grassy hillside with snow-capped mountains in the background.
3/24/2023
In spring 2023, Olympic National Park will begin rehabilitation of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, an approximately $11 million project funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). In preparation for this project, the Hurricane Ridge area of the national park will be temporarily closed to the public. Public access to Hurricane Ridge will resume on Memorial Day Weekend. Visitors to Hurricane Ridge will notice some changes to operations during construction.
Yellowstone National Park receives funding from Great American Outdoors Act for $118 million replacement of Yellowstone River Bridge
Great American Outdoors Act, Press Release
Close-up photo of a paved road with red railings with pine trees and hills in the distance.
3/23/2023
Yellowstone National Park recently awarded an approximately $118 million construction contract to replace the structurally deficient Yellowstone River Bridge on the Northeast Entrance Road near Tower Junction. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), this project will preserve year-round public access to and from the park’s Northeast Entrance and communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City, Montana.
Maintenance teams make nature accessible for all (www.fws.gov)
A dock over clear water and orange leaves and tall grass in the background.
3/20/2023
The Great American Outdoors Act, passed in 2020, gives the Service funding – nearly $100 million annually – to reduce the list of deferred maintenance projects. That includes repairing or replacing visitor facilities – like the one at Occoquan Bay – as well as roads, trails and other critical infrastructure. By leveraging Great American Outdoors Act funding with that from other sources, we can make maintenance miracles happen in the places they’re needed most.
Great American Outdoors Act: Enhancing Utah Public Lands (www.blm.gov)
Five workers building a wooden walkway on red earth.
3/8/2023
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is a historic investment in the protection and sustainment of public lands and Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools. This landmark legislation provides economic support to communities by providing jobs and investing in much-needed maintenance for critical facilities and infrastructure on public lands. Through the Great American Outdoors Act funding, more than eight projects are happening across Bureau of Land Management sites in Utah.
Colonial NHP receives funding from Great American Outdoors Act for $122.8 million rehabilitation of Colonial Parkway
National Park Service, Great American Outdoors Act, Press Release
Paved road leading to two red stone bridges with trees on either side and a blue sky
3/6/2023
Colonial National Historical Park announces the award of $122.8 million for the Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation project, funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The project will repair and extend the life of approximately 10.3 miles of the Colonial Parkway, including all associated structures and components in the affected sections.
Glacier Bay Concessions Housing to be Upgraded with Approximately $16.7 Million from the Great American Outdoors Act
National Park Service, Great American Outdoors Act, Press Release
A dirt road leading to three wooden buildings and large pine trees in the distance.
3/6/2023
Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve recently awarded an approximately $16.7 million construction contract to replace concession housing at Bartlett Cove. The project will demolish three existing outdated dorms and replace them with one building that will lower operation and maintenance costs and provide a safe, accessible, and energy efficient living space for the concession staff who provide essential services for park visitors.

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