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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Monday that the House will debate and may vote to amend the Great American Outdoors Act, which would inject billions to maintain neglected national parks and permanently fund land and water conservation efforts.
“The House will consider the Great American Outdoors Act under a rule on the floor during the work period at the end of July. This bipartisan bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 73–25, will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the maintenance backlog at our national parks,” Hoyer said in a press statement.
The Senate passed the legislation with bipartisan support last week, and it also has bipartisan support in the House. Hoyer said he will bring up the measure under regular rules that would potentially allow for amendments and require longer debate time.
Rep. Paul A. Gosar (D-Ariz.) along with 19 other House members sent a letter (pdf) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking “for an open amendment process during the upcoming debate on the Great American Outdoors Act.”
“Amongst the many provisions included in the Great American Outdoors Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) which is now permanently reauthorized at $900 million a year, this bill sets that authorization funding on autopilot for generations to come,” wrote the House members. “Putting this massive federal program on auto, outside of congressional oversight, does not make fiscal or regulatory sense.”
“I look forward to seeing it pass the House with strong bipartisan support and being sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law,” Hoyer said.
President Trump supports the bill in its current form and said he’ll sign it.
If passed by the House, this measure will help pay for a huge list of national park repairs nationwide.
In West Virginia, for example, funds are needed for maintenance of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, with a backlog of close to $19 million needed for upkeep and repairs.
The National Parks maintenance total backlog amounts to almost $12 billion. In Virginia, Shenandoah National Park’s close to 200,000 acres are in need of $89 million in repairs.
Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) said her organization has been working for the past five years to have conservation legislation passed by Congress.
“Chronic underfunding, cuts in staffing, record visitation, and billions of dollars in repairs have burdened our national parks for years. Park roads and bridges are collapsing, water systems are failing, and visitor centers are crumbling. This momentous bill not only provides an opportunity to better care for these treasured places, it will help to increase access to public lands across the country, provide jobs and bring much-needed relief to local communities suffering through hard times,” Pierno said in a statement.
In May, over 850 community advocates, representing conservation organizations, local governments, and state and regional tourism boards urged congressional leaders to support the bill (pdf).
“The Great American Outdoors Act will ensure a future for nature to thrive, kids to play, and hunters and anglers to enjoy. National parks and public lands provide access to the outdoors for hundreds of millions of people every year and habitat for some of our country’s most iconic wildlife,” they wrote.
Focus News: House Will Debate the Great American Outdoor Act in July