Great American Outdoors Act


The Great American Outdoors Act is a bill passed by the United States Congress, but not yet signed into law by President Donald Trump. It has two major components: fully and permanently funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and providing $9.5 billion in funding to address a maintenance backlog at American national parks. The Associated Press wrote that it would be "the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century."

Legislative history

The Great American Outdoors Act was introduced by Cory Gardner on March 9, 2020, during the 116th United States Congress. On June 9, it passed a procedural vote 80–17 and moved to full consideration before the Senate. The bill passed the Senate on June 17 by a vote of 73–25. On July 22, the bill was passed by the House on a bipartisan vote of 310–107.

Support and opposition

Considered unusually bipartisan in nature in the context of the 116th Congress, the bill attracted 59 co-sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans. 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. 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.
The measure was supported by conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the League of Conservation Voters, while some animal husbandry and mining groups opposed it. While supporting the bill, some Democrats suggested that Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, only allowed debate on the bill in order to support the 2020 re-election efforts of Gardner and Steve Daines.