The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior proposed $2.8 billion in funding for fiscal year 2024 authorized by the Great American Outdoors Act to enhance infrastructure, recreation facilities, federal lands access and land and water conservation.
The Great American Outdoors Act established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which authorizes up to $1.9 billion per year from 2021 through 2025 to reduce deferred maintenance on federal lands and at Bureau of Indian Education schools, according to a May 11 news release.
“These deferred maintenance projects are essential as many communities rely on the Forest Service road network to get to schools, stores and hospitals, and it provides access to forest management and recreation opportunities on national forests and grasslands,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release.
The funding aims to improve federal land access, recreational facilities and conservation efforts, including reducing the deferred maintenance backlog on federal lands, according to the release. The investment in federal lands will work together with other infrastructure initiatives to fortify the country's infrastructure and ensure that it can keep up with future requirements.
The permanent, full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund will help enhance public access, protect the environment and provide more opportunities for recreational activities on public lands, the release said.
“We feel responsibility for this maintenance strongly, and we take great pride in being the stewards of our nation’s forests and grasslands,” Vilsack added, according to the release. “Funding made possible through the Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund allows us to enhance equitable access for recreators, create job opportunities, advance community well-being and improve rural and urban economies.”
Funding for the proposed projects in the fiscal year 2024 is subject to Congressional approval, the release reported. The investments from the Great American Outdoors Act are in line with President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other Investing in America initiatives to bolster the country’s infrastructure and prepare it for future needs.
The Great American Outdoors Act funding will work in conjunction with these initiatives to provide additional support to enhance public access and protect the nation's watersheds and wildlife, as well as preserve ecosystem benefits for local communities, according to the release.
