House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman laid out his early targets for reworking the Great American Outdoors Act at a field hearing in Grand Teton National Park.
Westerman — who expressed strong support for reauthorizing the expiring law, which directed billions of dollars toward revitalizing America’s public lands — has repeatedly said reform would be necessary to make a dent in the National Park Service’s swollen deferred maintenance backlog. On Friday, he discussed more targeted spending and a new foreign visitor surcharge.
“Our task is twofold: first, to examine what worked and what didn’t work under the first iteration of the law and, second, to chart a path forward that ensures our parks are modernized, accessible and ready to welcome visitors for our country’s next 250 years,” Westerman said. “Without important reforms, we cannot realize the full benefits of the Great American Outdoors Act.”
The GAOA, signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2020, authorized $1.6 billion annually for five years to chip away at the deferred maintenance backlog. Since passage, the backlog has continued to grow.
