Habitat & Conservation  |  06/04/2020

Act Now to Pass the Great American Outdoors Act!


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Photo credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS

Congress has announced plans to bring the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) to the Senate Floor in early June, and we need your voice in support of the current bill with no amendments. If passed, this would be a historic achievement for conservation, public lands and the future of sportsmen and women — especially during these challenging times.

Never have the American people valued their parks, trails, forests and waters more than present, turning to them each and every day for emotional solace and physical activity in these uncertain times. Now more than ever, we need to make sure that every American has close-to-home access to outdoor recreation, expanded public access opportunities to ensure safety without overcrowding, and the promise that these places are protected and maintained for generations to come.

The Great American Outdoors act will provide full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF funds have had a direct impact on growing the outdoor recreation economy by increasing public lands access in every state. Passage of this bill ensures hunter opportunities in our national parks, forests, refuges, local and state parks, and other public lands, FOREVER. Click here to experience what LWCF has contributed to in your state.

Additionally, the Great American Outdoors Act will fund the U.S. National Park Service and deliver much-needed financial aid to address the backlog of maintenance projects that support hunting, angling, conservation and the overall recreation experiences. Deteriorating infrastructure, exacerbated by increasing visitation pressures and inconsistent annual funding, has led to a nearly $12 billion backlog in repair needs in America’s national parks; this total increases to $18 billion when overdue maintenance needs on other public lands are included.

By addressing these two related challenges, the Great American Outdoors Act will secure the future of America’s public lands legacy, enhance recreation access, and sustain thriving local communities.

This broadly supported, bipartisan legislation is a momentous achievement for conservation!

Take Immediate Action

Pheasants Forever is requesting members, chapters and upland hunters to CALL your officials in Congress TODAY and ask them to support the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act in its present form with no amendments: