Deb Haaland, the secretary of the interior, is dedicated to promoting environmental justice and making sure that everyone has equal access to nature and its benefits.
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) enables the Departments of Agriculture and Interior to propose spending $2.8 billion for fiscal year 2024 to enhance infrastructure, recreational facilities, public access to federal lands, and land and water conservation.
The National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund is authorised to receive up to $1.9 billion annually from fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to address the backlog of deferred maintenance on federal lands and at Bureau of Indian Education schools.
GAOA provides $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund to ensure public access, enhance recreational opportunities, safeguard watersheds and wildlife, and maintain ecosystem services.
The proposed projects for fiscal year 2024 are subject to Congressional approval. GAOA investments work in tandem with President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other Investing in America programmes to strengthen the country’s infrastructure.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack believes that deferred maintenance projects are essential for communities to access schools, stores, and hospitals, as well as forest management and recreation opportunities.
The Great American Outdoors Act’s Legacy Restoration Fund funding enables the Forest Service to increase equitable access for recreationists, foster job growth, promote neighbourhood well-being, and strengthen rural and urban economies.
This is important as many communities depend on the Forest Service road network for access to schools, stores, and hospitals.
Deb Haaland, the secretary of the interior, is dedicated to promoting environmental justice and making sure that everyone has equal access to nature and its benefits.
The Great American Outdoors Act enables us to expand opportunities for outdoor recreation, upgrade public lands’ infrastructure, make investments in the American economy, and uphold our commitment to tribal communities.
In order to fulfil the commitments stated in the President’s America the Beautiful Initiative, the USDA Forest Service’s Equity Action Plan, and the Tribal Action Plan, these investments are crucial in enabling equitable access to the outdoors.
The USDA Forest Service and Department of the Interior are addressing high priority deferred maintenance across federal lands with funding from the GAOA LRF for fiscal year 2024.
The Department of the Interior has proposed 56 LRF projects, and the USDA Forest Service has identified 83 deferred maintenance bundled projects to improve recreation facilities, buildings, water and utility infrastructure, roads, trails, bridges, and parking areas.
The LRF projects are projected to support over 20,700 jobs and contribute over $2 billion to the economy, with projects taking place in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the US and its territories.
The Great American Outdoors Act provides information on authorised and funded deferred maintenance projects approved for Fiscal Year 2023.
The LWCF projects and programmes are funded with $900 million from the 2024 budget, including $470 million in grants and $430 million for federal land acquisition projects and programmes.
The LWCF programme has a long and significant bipartisan history, providing $4 billion in funding for initiatives across almost all of the nation’s counties since its inception.
These investments will fund local land conservation and outdoor recreation initiatives while also protecting significant natural areas and cultural heritage sites on federal lands. Additionally, the LWCF is part of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to have 40% of all gains from selected federal investments go to underserved communities.
The Department of the Interior will allocate $681.9 million for LWCF programmes to protect threatened natural, cultural, or historic resources and improve access to outdoor recreation. Land acquisition projects purchase necessary lands or easements from willing sellers, and the Department will commit $160.0 million to 66 projects in 40 states.
The Interior Department is proposing an additional $375.7 million to support grants for conservation and recreation, including grants under the state LWCF formula and the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Program (ORLP). ORLP provides funding to urban areas with at least 50,000 residents, with a focus on initiatives in underserved communities with limited access to outdoor recreation.
The USDA Forest Service plans to allocate $124 million for 16 Land Acquisition Program projects and $94 million for 10 Forest Legacy Program projects in 2024.
USDA is transforming America’s food system under the Biden-Harris administration by focusing on resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets, access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, creating new markets and streams of income, and investing in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities.