The Great American Outdoors Act passed the United States House of Representatives by a 310-107 vote on Wednesday and will now be sent to the President who has shown great support in favor of the bill.

ASLA president Wendy Miller, FASLA has released this statement in response to its passage:

 

"The final passage of the Great American Outdoors Act represents the culmination of years of advocacy from ASLA to permanently and fully fund LWCF and address the maintenance backlog in U.S. national parks.

"ASLA is gratified that this bill, which will help landscape architects fulfill our work as responsible stewards of the environment, is just a pen stroke away from becoming the law of the (literal) land. We applaud Reps. Joe Cunningham (SC) and Mike Simpson (ID) for all their work to get this passed in the U.S. House. We're hopeful the President will sign this bill quickly, as he's promised to do."

Also showing support, Kristine Stratton, president and CEO of NRPA, issued the following:

"NRPA has worked for decades to ensure full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and, today, we are thrilled to see it through to fruition thanks to the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. This marks a huge win for our more than 60,000 members and advocates, who work tirelessly to serve the public through park and recreation opportunities in urban and rural communities throughout the country. More importantly, it is a huge win for every person in our country, as this critical funding advances our goal of ensuring everyone has access to the benefits of quality parks and recreation.
"Throughout the legislative process, The Great American Outdoors Act has enjoyed strong bipartisan support for providing critical resources to local communities for parks, recreation and conservation initiatives. NRPA is grateful to the Congressional champions, coalition partners and the many spirited stakeholders who helped ensure full and permanent funding for LWCF - a decades-long legislative goal for NRPA. Our members should be especially proud of their work in achieving this victory."

The Great American Outdoors Act will fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) as well as establish the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restorations Fund which will address maintenance backlogs for the National Park Service and other federal land agencies.