There hasn’t been much good news to read about lately, so here’s one item that hopefully receives a lot more press very soon.

The U.S. Senate will vote on the Great American Outdoors Act when it reconvenes in June. The far-reaching bill has bipartisan support to establish the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, aimed at bolstering the work necessary to address the enormous backlog of maintenance on public lands around the country.

According to bill S.3422, the program will be funded by an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenue from oil, gas, coal, and renewable and alternative energy produced on federal land and water. The funds will be distributed for projects within the National Park Service, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Education.

On top of that, the Great American Outdoors Act will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which preserves public properties of many kinds, as well as secures public access to recreation opportunities throughout the nation with several different programs. So, it helps keep public lands open for all of us to enjoy.

Keep an eye out for more developments of this remarkable legislation when the Senate gets back to work in June and the bill moves through the process. Contacting your elected legislators to voice your support of the programs wouldn’t hurt, either. Click here to find out how: www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

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