Love Our Public Lands? That Means Maintaining Them

When the House Natural Resources Committee held a field hearing in Hot Springs, Arkansas in late spring to discuss a bill to maintain America’s vast and beautiful public lands, it chose a city with a unique place in our nation's conservation history. In 1832, Congress established the Hot Springs Reservation, creating the nation's first federally protected landscape decades before Yellowstone became America's first national park. 

Nearly 200 years later, Congress is once again considering how best to care for the public lands that generations of Americans have enjoyed since then. 

Bipartisan legislation currently being considered in both chambers would build on the success of 2020’s Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). In the House, Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced the Great American Outdoors Act 250 (GAOA 250). In the Senate, Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Angus King (I-Maine) led introduction of the America the Beautiful Act.  

While the bills differ in some respects, both would extend and strengthen the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, helping address deferred maintenance across national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands while expanding opportunities for habitat restoration and ecosystem resilience. The two bills are currently following separate tracks: the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the America the Beautiful Act before the start of Congress’ August recess, while GAOA 250 was approved by unanimous consent by the House Natural Resources Committee this June. Lawmakers are expected to resume work on the bills when they return from recess in September as they negotiate a compromise between these two bills.  

Created by the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, the Legacy Restoration Fund addressed decades of deferred maintenance needs across national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, and Bureau of Indian Education facilities. For years, maintenance projects accumulated faster than agencies could address them, leaving roads, trails, visitor facilities, water systems, and other infrastructure in need of repair. 

The Legacy Restoration Fund helped change that. Projects supported by the fund have improved visitor access, repaired aging infrastructure, and helped ensure public lands remain safe and accessible. These investments support local economies, sustain outdoor recreation opportunities, and help maintain places that millions of Americans visit each year. 

But the impact extends beyond infrastructure. National parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests, and other public lands provide habitat for hundreds of bird species. These landscapes support migration, nesting, wintering, and breeding habitat while also providing opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, birding, and other outdoor activities. Recreation on federal public lands and waters generates an estimated $128 billion in annual economic activity and supports roughly one million jobs nationwide – a lifeline for many rural communities. Healthy public lands benefit both wildlife and people. 

That helps explain the broad bipartisan support behind efforts to extend the Legacy Restoration Fund. Public lands continue to bring together lawmakers, local communities, sportsmen, conservationists, outdoor recreation advocates, and businesses, reflecting widespread recognition across a fractured political spectrum that our public lands are worth maintaining and stewarding for the future. Regardless of geography or political affiliation, Americans value access to healthy public lands and understand the importance of maintaining them. 

The proposals now before Congress would continue that work by extending and expanding investments in public lands while prioritizing habitat restoration, ecosystem resilience, conservation partnerships, and other projects that help sustain healthy landscapes. At a time when federal land management agencies continue to face significant deferred maintenance needs, allowing a successful program like the Legacy Restoration Fund to expire would be a missed opportunity. 

As lawmakers consider House and Senate proposals, they should ensure that investments extend beyond roads, parking lots, and visitor facilities. One of the most promising aspects of the House proposal is its stronger emphasis on non-transportation projects. While roads and visitor facilities remain important, public lands agencies also face significant habitat restoration, water infrastructure, and ecosystem management needs. The House bill directs a greater share of funding toward these types of projects, creating additional opportunities to improve habitat and support wildlife-dependent recreation. 

Another strength of the House proposal is its emphasis on conservation partnerships. Tools such as cooperative agreements, and cross-boundary partnerships help bring together federal agencies, states, Tribes, nonprofits, and local communities to complete restoration projects at a meaningful scale. Organizations like Audubon frequently work alongside public agencies and local partners to restore habitat and improve conditions for birds and other wildlife. Preserving these partnership authorities would help ensure conservation investments translate into measurable results on the ground. 

 As Congress continues its work on both bills, lawmakers have an opportunity not only to extend a successful program, but also to strengthen it. The final legislation should continue addressing deferred maintenance while placing greater emphasis on habitat restoration, ecosystem resilience, wildlife-dependent recreation, and conservation partnerships that help restore and maintain forests, wetlands, and other important habitats.