WASHINGTON - On Sunday, August 4, the Department of the Interior will commemorate the four-year anniversary of the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) by waiving entrance fees at all lands managed by the Department. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use and use of special areas, remain in effect. The GAOA is a bipartisan investment that improves visitor experiences, bolsters climate resilience and invests in the economy by creating good-paying jobs in our national parks, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools.
Each year, Interior Department GAOA projects support an average of 17,000 jobs and contribute an average of $1.9 billion to the economy, benefiting urban, suburban, and rural areas across the nation. Since the GAOA's initial implementation in 2021, the Department has funded 326 projects across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories, with 83 proposed projects in fiscal year 2025.
"The Great American Outdoors Act has allowed the Interior Department to tackle long-deferred infrastructure needs that will support communities in every corner of the nation long into the future," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "From coast to coast, this historic law is making improvements that are benefiting the millions of visitors who visit our incredible public lands through enhanced visitor experiences, better access and improved safety. Coupled with the President's Investing in America agenda, we are making lasting, durable changes that will last for generations."
The GAOA established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (GAOA LRF) to provide deferred maintenance and repairs at critical facilities on public lands and at BIE-funded schools. At no additional cost to taxpayers, the GAOA LRF provides $1.6 billion per year to Interior for projects at recreation facilities, dams, water and utility infrastructure, schools, and other historic structures. Other projects increase public access by improving accessibility features, and restoring and repairing roads, trails, bridges and parking areas. GAOA's LRF funding sunsets after fiscal year 2025 and would need to be reauthorized by Congress to continue the efforts underway to address significant infrastructure needs across public lands.
GAOA projects are improving assets that visitors rely on every time they visit public lands. Nearly half of GAOA LRF projects are improving Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, creating more welcoming and accessible places for all. Projects are also helping provide safer working environments for staff and volunteers by repairing and maintaining staff housing, improving office and maintenance facilities and removing health and safety concerns.
Through the GAOA, Interior is also training the next generation of workers by collaborating with youth corps and funding Maintenance Action Teams - groups of federal employees who mobilize regionally to work on construction, demolition, rehabilitation, and preservation, and provide training and apprenticeship opportunities to youth.
The law also helps the Department uphold its commitment to Indigenous communities. Nearly 2,300 students and faculty benefit from GAOA LRF's improvements to BIE-funded schools annually. By helping ensure BIE-funded schools are operational and safe, including by modernizing educational facilities and housing, GAOA LRF creates a better and safer learning environment for Indigenous youth.
In addition to funding deferred maintenance projects, the GAOA provides full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million annually. Congress established the LWCF in 1964 to fulfill a bipartisan commitment to safeguard the nation's natural areas, water resources and cultural heritage, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. Since its inception in 1965, LWCF has funded $6.1 billion to support more than 46,000 projects in every county in the country.
Visit Interior's Great American Outdoors Act website to learn more about GAOA's far-reaching improvements to public lands.
