On August 4th, the President signed the Great American Outdoors Act to add consistent funding into the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Royalties obtained primarily from oil and gas leasing in the outer continental shelf provides funding for federal lands and water. The Congressional Research Service reports that the LWCF began in 1965 as an act of Congress but an estimated $21B was taken out of the fund so National Parks and other federal lands could not keep up with the backlog of maintenance projects. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado sponsored the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 along with 59 other co-sponsors (42 Democrats, 15 Republicans and 2 Independents) in a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation. Nothing like an upcoming election to get the politicians motivated!
Several hundred environmental groups endorsed the legislation as described in this letter. Here is the text from the bill:
“This bill establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands.
For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year.
The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by
the National Park Service,
the Forest Service,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Bureau of Land Management, and
the Bureau of Indian Education.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies.
Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.”