Entrance fees were waived Aug. 4 at all fee-collecting public lands the U.S. Department of the Interior manages in observance of the first anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Former President Donald Trump signed into law on Aug. 4, 2020, the GAOA, which preserves and protects national parks. The act improves infrastructure at national parks and “provides permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” a press release said.
GAOA and the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act that Trump signed into law in March 2019 are designed to work together to “benefit current and future generations of Americans,” the release stated.
“The Great American Outdoors Act provides the necessary funds, dedicating up to $1.9 billion per year for five years to fund deferred maintenance projects identified by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education,” according to the release.
Wednesday, Aug. 4, was designated “Great American Outdoors Day” to celebrate the GAOA that “passed with strong bipartisan support,” a DOI press release said.
Although entrance fees were waived on Aug. 4 at all fee-collecting public lands, other fees remained in effect, including those for use of special areas, overnight camping, cabin rentals and group day use.
The GAOA invests in Americans and “in the future of our public lands and sacred spaces,” Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, said in the release.
“I invite all Americans to experience the beauty and bounty of our nation’s public lands," Haaland said. "Every day of the year.”
Most of the nation’s 423 national parks are open, the release said. However, visitors should check park websites or download the NPS app to get details about operations.
