Hearing Discussion: The Great American Outdoors Act Discussion in the House Natural Resources Committee
The Great American Outdoors Act's National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) has been extended, providing much-needed relief for federal land managers dealing with annual maintenance needs that exceed annual appropriations funding.
This extension comes as a result of the ongoing growth of deferred maintenance, a problem that has been acknowledged by various land management agencies. The Forest Service, in particular, has been recognised for its approach to implementing the LRF, with public outreach, transparency, and partnership efforts to achieve the fund's goals.
Tyler Ray, the Senior Director for Programs and Advocacy, has been at the forefront of these efforts. He emphasises the importance of the LRF in addressing deferred maintenance needs and improving recreational facilities and public land access for hikers in the United States.
The LRF has funded at least 558 trail, trail bridge, and trail-related deferred maintenance projects between 2021 and 2025. These projects have been funded across the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the National Park Service. Many of these projects have been supported and completed by partners and volunteers.
However, it's worth noting that the organization that created a letter in September 2025 to the House Natural Resources Committee supporting the extension of the Great American Outdoors Act National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund and emphasising the fund's impact on improving recreational facilities and public land access for hikers in the United States is not explicitly named in the available search results.
In an effort to rectify the inadvertent exclusion of the FWS from accessing the LRF due to statutory text referencing the National Wildlife Refuge System, the committee is asked to include language that allows deferred maintenance funding for FWS through the LRF to include the National Fish Hatchery System.
The organization also supports a reexamination and allocation of the proportionality of the LRF to each land management agency based on each agency's actual deferred maintenance backlog. This recommendation is echoed by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which believes that extending the LRF provides the opportunity to adjust these allocations.
To ensure that the LRF continues to make a significant impact, it's crucial that Congress provides adequate annual funding to federal land management agencies. This will not only help in fully addressing deferred maintenance and stopping further backlog growth but also ensure that public lands remain open and accessible for all to use.
For more information on the Great American Outdoors Act and its projects, you can visit the Forest Service's website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/gaoa/partnerships) or the Department of the Interior's website (https://www.doi.gov/gaoa-project-data). You can also read the Public Witness Testimony submitted by our organization and 259 trail organizations (https://our website.org/american-hiking-and-259-organizations-support-fy26-trail-funding/).
In conclusion, the extension of the Great American Outdoors Act's National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund is a significant step towards addressing deferred maintenance and ensuring the continued preservation and accessibility of public lands for all.
