Photo: Golden-winged Warbler, Michael Stubblefield
By Lisa Mackem
In a rare show of bipartisan support, the Great American Outdoors Act passed in both Congressional houses with a large margin. Republican Senator Cory Gardner sponsored the bill, along with 59 cosponsors. Both Virginia senators supported the bill. The Act has been called one of the most important environmental bills in history.
Sarah Greenberger, senior vice president for the National Audubon Society’s conservation policy, said that the bill will help protect birds, improve parks, and create jobs in every state and will provide permanent, mandatory funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at the authorized amount of $900 million annually at no additional taxpayer cost. It will also direct up to $9.5 billion over five years to the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy funds to help address huge backlogs in maintenance needs.
Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) Federal Legislative Director Anders Reynolds called the Great American Outdoors Act “a huge step in the right direction…but only a first step. Properly maintaining our parks and preserving public lands is vital for our environment and for the economic health of local communities that depend on outdoor tourism.”
President Trump has expressed support for this bill and is expected to sign it into law. A signing date has not yet been set.