PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 28, 2020
Congress this summer passed, and President Trump signed into law, the Great American Outdoors Act, providing billions of dollars for a popular conservation project and much-needed maintenance for national parks. The legislation will provide about $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, double the current spending. The LWCF has invested more than $190 million in projects in Maine, including work at Acadia National Park and on the Appalachian Trail, plus projects in communities of all sizes throughout the state. The law also provides $1.9 billion a year over five years for improvements at national parks, wildlife refuges and rangelands. The funding is good news, but it doesn’t meet the backlogged work needed on federal lands. Voters should make sure Congress knows how much the Great American Outdoors Act is appreciated, and how the bipartisan support of our public lands should not stop there.ance for national parks.