The president signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law on August 4. This historic bipartisan legislation is the culmination of decades of work by many conservation groups and allies from across the U.S.
The Great American Outdoors Act allocates $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and establishes the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Fund which directs up to $9.5 billion over five years to repair aging infrastructure in national parks, national forests, and other public lands. Voyageurs National Park’s backlog of deferred maintenance on campsites, trails, docks, and historic structures totals roughly $10 million.
In 2019, LWCF funding helped Voyageurs National Park Association transfer a 6-acre parcel of land on the Kabetogama Peninsula to Voyageurs National Park. LWCF will continue to be instrumental in helping us further leverage privately donated funds to add other acres to the park.
When GAOA funds are made available to parks, Voyageurs National Park Association will work closely with our Park Service partner to identify projects where philanthropy, combined with GAOA funds, can make the greatest impact at Voyageurs.
Read More:
National Parks Conservation Association: ‘A Conservationist’s Dream’: Congress Passes Great American Outdoors Act
National Park Service: Deferred maintenance at National Parks
The Harvard Gazette: The biggest land conservation legislation in a generation
Bruce McKee
