President Donald Trump officially signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law. The new act sends nearly $3 billion annually in federal dollars into national parks.
On Tuesday, the President signed the bill and addressed its impact moving forward. “This is a very big deal,” the president said. “From an environmental standpoint — and just a beauty of our country standpoint — there hasn’t been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect.”
The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Furthermore, the bill addresses a $20 billion backlog of deferred maintenance in national parks, Fox News reports.
A number of high ranking officials attended the historic signing of the bill. In addition to lawmakers, leaders from the Park Service and a number of other executives from the fishing and gaming industry attended.
The Impact of the Great American Outdoors Act
A White House official shared a statement on the impact of the bill. “Today’s action is the most significant lands conservation accomplishment since President Teddy Roosevelt, and it is the single largest investment in America’s national parks and public lands in United States history.”
The President’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, frequently spoke out in support of the bill. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made us value, now more than ever, the national treasure that is our parks and the respite they afford our families,” she said in a statement. “President Trump has secured funding for the next 100 years to preserve our national and public lands and return them to their grandeur.”
The National Park Service accounts for 84 million acres of land at 400 different locations. In addition to helping conserve the land, the bill hopes to create at least 100,000 jobs.
Earlier this summer, the House and the Senate both cleared the bill with overwhelming support. President Trump credits Senators Cory Gardner and Steve Daines with helping pass the bill.
[H/T Fox News]
