President Trump signed U.S. Senate Bill 3422, also known as the Great American Outdoors Act. This legislation received broad bipartisan support and will directly benefit sportsmen in all 50 states. SB 3422 will dedicate permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and will create a new “National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund,” which will be funded through energy royalties to a maximum of $1.9 billion per year. Through this fund, the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s $900 million allocation will be fully and permanently funded, which will be used to conserve critical lands and help establish access points to landlocked public lands that previously could not be due to private property.
Most consequently, this legislation will address the maintenance backlogs on federal lands, including projects on national wildlife refuges, national parks and forests, and BLM lands. In doing so, 100,000 jobs related to restoring national parks and improving forest and trails systems are expected to be created as a result.
“We are pleased to see the President follow through on his promises to protect and preserve public land access across the nation,” said Bruce Tague, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “This legislation is a great step in preserving our American outdoor heritage and will go a long way in preserving publicly accessible land for future generations.”
The money for the funds comes from royalties paid by energy companies drilling for oil and natural gas, leaving sportsmen’s money from Pittman-Robertson, Dingell-Johnson, state and federal duck stamps and other license fees to support state fish and game agencies, as well as other conservation initiatives.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.