WASHINGTON D.C.—The National Audubon Society, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the United States Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement today about the Great American Outdoors Act becoming law:
“The president’s signature on the Great American Outdoors Act represents an important bipartisan victory that will benefit our environment, our economy, and local communities.
“We’re proud of the vast coalition of organizations and members of the public who rallied to make their voices heard in support of this legislation, and we’re thankful to the bill’s primary sponsors—Senators Cory Gardner, Joe Manchin, Steve Daines, and Mark Warner, and Representatives Joe Cunningham, Mike Simpson, Mikie Sherrill, and Brian Fitzpatrick—and to all the members of Congress who supported this bipartisan effort.
“The Great American Outdoors Act will address a critical repair backlog within our national parks, forests, and other public land agencies. It will also permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides critical resources to states and local governments for open space and resilience projects. In doing so, it will ensure that $900 million in annual royalties from energy companies is directed to its intended purposes.
“The Great American Outdoors Act is even more important during this pandemic, because starting the overdue repair work will help create jobs that communities and businesses need for their economic recovery.”