Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund Newsroom

On Sunday, August 21st, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park launchedTexas White House: Past, Present, and Future, a series of short educational videos on the history and importance of the Texas White House and LBJ Ranch. The first three episodes will highlight the history of the land. The last two episodes cover the National Park Service’s efforts to open the Texas White House to the public in 2008 while addressing the challenges of protecting and preserving the historic buildings and landscapes of the Texas White House Complex.

National Park Service (NPS) Director Chuck Sams visited Acadia National Park to see infrastructure improvements that are part of a concerted effort to address deferred maintenance and repair needs in national parks. A variety of funding sources are tackling Acadia’s estimated $134 million in deferred maintenance and repairs, led by $30+ million provided by the Great American Outdoors Act.

Great American Outdoors Act funding is giving the Bureau of Land Management’s Grub Dam a new lease on life in Valley County, Montana. Workers recently broke ground on a rehabilitation project to restore the 58-year-old dam.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced availability of the final Environmental Assessment (EA) for a replacement visitor center on the National Elk Refuge (Refuge). Breaking ground on a completely redesigned facility, made possible in part by Great American Outdoors Act funding, is anticipated in 2025.

On August 4, designated as “Great American Outdoors Day,” the Department of the Interior will celebrate the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). To support the Department’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to public lands, entrance fees will be waived on Aug. 4 at all fee-collecting public lands managed by the Department.

The Camus National Wildlife Refuge has kicked off a $7.8 million project with Great American Outdoors Act funding. The project will rehabilitate the water delivery systems of Camas NWR, improve wildlife habitat, enhance public access to better support visitors with disabilities, and improve roadways to support birdwatchers, photographers and hunters. 

Federal and local elected leaders participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the rehabilitation of the northern section of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The approximately $161 million project is one of the largest infrastructure investments funded by the Great American Outdoors Act.

National Park Service Director Chuck Sams visited Rocky Mountain National Park to see how the park is working to tell a more inclusive history and to announce $20 million in Fiscal Year 2022 investments from the Great American Outdoors Act and President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.