Great American Outdoors Act

The Great American Outdoors Act (H.R.1957) is a bill under consideration in the United States Congress that would have two major components: fully and permanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and providing $9.5 billion in funding to address a maintenance backlog at American national parks.[1][2] It was introduced by Cory Gardner (R-CO) on March 9th, 2020, during the 116th United States Congress.[3] The Associated Press wrote that it would be "the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century."[4]

Great American Outdoors Act
Long titleAn Act to amend title 54, United States Code, to establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Education, and to provide permanent, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and for other purposes.
NicknamesGreat American Outdoors Act
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 1957 by John Lewis (D–GA) on March 28, 2019
  • Committee consideration by House Committee on Ways and Means; passed committee on April 9, 2019
    House Financial Services Committee; committee discharged on April 9, 2019
  • Passed the House of Representatives on April 9, 2019 (voice vote)
  • Passed the Senate on June 17, 2019 (73–25)

The bill passed the Senate on June 17th, 2020, by a vote of 73-25. The bill is expected to be approved by the House in short order.[5]

Considered unusually bipartisan in nature in the context of the 116th Congress,[1] the bill attracted 59 co-sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans.[3] On June 9th, 2020, it passed a procedural vote 80-17 and moved to full consideration before the Senate.[6] President Trump expressed a willingness to sign the act after being shown an impressive picture of land within Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park protected by LWCF funds, despite previously opposing the LWCF.[1][7] The LWCF, first established in 1965, had been made permanent by the 2019 John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act but had not been permanently funded at that time.[8][lower-alpha 1]

The measure has been supported by conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the League of Conservation Voters[1][10], while some animal husbandry and mining groups have opposed it.[11] While supporting the bill, some Democrats have suggested that Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, has only allowed debate on the bill in order to support the 2020 re-election efforts of Gardner and Steve Daines (R-MT).[1][2]

Notes
  1. Prior to the indefinite re-authorization, the Land and Water Conservation Fund had been expired for a period of five months.[8] It had been funded through temporary measures before eventually being discontinued in September 2018.[9]

References
  1. Hulse, Carl (2020-06-08). "Senate Moves Toward Preserving Public Lands, and Political Careers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  2. Everett, Burgess. "Gardner brawls with Hickenlooper over threat to block recess". POLITICO. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  3. Gardner, Cory (2020-03-10). "Cosponsors - S.3422 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Great American Outdoors Act". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-04-30. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  4. Daly, Matthew (2020-06-13). "In time of crises, lands bill gives Senate a chance to unite". AP News. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  5. Daly, Matthew (17 June 2020). "US Senate passes Great American Outdoors Act to boost conservation, parks". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  6. "Great American Outdoors Act Moves Toward Final Senate Passage | SGB Media Online". sgbonline.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  7. "Great American Outdoors Act Could Help Improve Trails In Colorado". 2020-06-10. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  8. Pfister, Tom. "Land And Water Conservation Fund Activated By 'Dingell Act'". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  9. "Monumental lands package shows Trump, Dems and GOP can get along". Tri-City Herald. March 13, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  10. "Great American Outdoors Act Would Protect and Restore America's Public Lands". www.nature.org. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  11. Henderson, Greg (9 June 2020). "Livestock Groups Oppose Great American Outdoors Act". AgWeb.
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