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

The National Park Service has awarded a $22 million construction contract to make repairs to the historic fort that serves as the foundation for the Statue of Liberty and its pedestal. Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the project will make drainage and safety improvements that will help preserve the structure and enhance accessibility for visitors.  

The National Elk Refuge is working with partners, including the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, Grand Teton Association, U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, to reimagine its visitor services role in the valley and refocus the operations of the existing Visitor Center to better meet the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Mammoth Cave National Park will receive approximately $6.5 million from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to rehabilitate about one mile of cave trail inside Mammoth Cave starting in fall 2022. The project will address deferred maintenance associated with these facilities, visitor safety, tour experience, and natural and cultural resource protection from the New Entrance to the Frozen Niagara entrance.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area will receive approximately $35 million in Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) funding for an infrastructure project on Alcatraz Island, the park’s most visited site. The project will repair and seismically strengthen the concrete wharf on Alcatraz Island, a contributing feature of the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark District.

Through funding from the Great American Outdoors Act’s (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund and Federal Highway Administration’s National Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) Program, the National Park Service (NPS) will receive approximately $130.6 million to rehabilitate 83 miles of Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi.

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.