Rep. Delgado Statement on Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act Becoming Law

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19) released the following statement on H.R. 1957, the Great American Outdoors Act, becoming law. The law will provide permanent, full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and establish the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, ensuring critical investments in our national parks, public lands, and current and future conservation efforts. Rep. Delgado voted for this bipartisan legislation on July 22, 2020.

"The Great American Outdoors Act is finally law and will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and protect public lands across upstate New York including NY-19 gems like the Delaware River Watershed, Catskill Mountains, and Hudson River area," said Rep. Delgado. "Protecting our planet should be a bipartisan priority and I am glad to see this legislation become law with support on both sides of the aisle. This law will support thousands of jobs maintaining these green spaces and protecting our precious natural landscapes for generations to come."

The Great American Outdoors Act ensures that the $900 million permanently authorized by Congress last year funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at the levels that were promised. The LWCF is America's most successful conservation program and these resources will make sure that it continues to:

Support enhanced park and recreational access for local communities throughout the country;

Address environmental injustice by creating green spaces near low-income communities and communities of color across the country by preserving our natural heritage in an equitable manner;

Strengthens the recreation economy, which is one of the fastest growing economic sectors and a key driver of jobs across the country; and

Implement recommendations from the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis' Solving the Climate Crisis action plan to support the goal of protecting at least 30 percent of all U.S. lands and ocean areas by 2030 while helping fragile ecosystems, wildlife populations and communities become more resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis.

The Great American Outdoors Act preserves our National Parks by establishing the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which provides federal land management agencies with critical resources to address the $22 billion deferred maintenance backlog on our public lands.

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