With a 310-107 winning vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act yesterday afternoon. The vote secures what some have called the most important outdoor legislation of a generation, which was passed in the U.S. Senate back in June. The landmark bill now moves on to the desk of the President, who is expected to sign it into law after several statements of support on social media since the spring of 2020 when the legislation started gaining momentum.
The bill had widespread support on both sides of the political aisle in both the Senate and House, with a few holdouts that have a history of less-than-stellar support of the nation’s public lands. To find out which Representatives voted yea or nay on the bill, click here. This refreshing bipartisanship work is proof positive of the importance of America’s treasured public lands and waters, and the ecological, recreational and economic benefits they provide.
Offshore oil and gas revenue — not tax dollars — will provide full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund to the tune of $900 million annually, to fulfill the first part of the Act. Its second part, the establishment of the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, allocates $1.9 billion per year for five years to catch up on the massive backlog of deferred maintenance projects of the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education.
Many people deserve credit for this legislation, certainly including the elected members of Congress that put in the work and placed their political differences aside to the get the job done. But, a huge amount of the credit goes to all of the citizens that stepped up to make their voices heard and contacted their representatives to push forward and pass the bill. Whether it was a Florida fisherman, a hiker from New York, a cyclist from Arizona, a trapper from Pennsylvania, a surfer from California, a camper from Montana, or a deer hunter from Wisconsin — each and every phone call, e-mail, letter, text and conversation made a difference.
As more and more people are realizing during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest, the great outdoors are the perfect refuge from, and treatment for, difficult times in our lives. The national treasures that are America’s public lands and waters are an outstanding symbol for what makes this the greatest country on earth, and this landmark legislation ensures that legacy will live on for future generations. Let’s make sure it’s not wasted.
Scout Land Without Ever Leaving Your Home
